Squawk Box Europe Express

European equities end the week as Asian markets continue to sell off sharply. Apple and Microsoft announce price rises as the A.I. race constrains chip supplies and prompts concern over higher inflation. The UN’s International Maritime Organisation suspends vessel escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. officials have blamed Iran as the peace deal comes under early pressure. Following the resignation of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, we hear from UK opposition party leaders who cast doubt on whether a potential Burnham-led government can turn around the country’s economic fortunes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The global tech sell-off continues with U.S. memory and A.I. related companies firmly in the red as investors reassess the A.I. boom. Micron is set to deliver its results later today. Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to its highest level since the start of the conflict in late February and U.S. President Donald Trump accuses oil companies of not lowering gas pump prices in line with falling crude. Secretary of State Marco Rubio lands in the UAE to reassure Arab allies since the Iran deal signing. Bank of America forecasts a triple hike from the Federal Reserve this year – up from its previous guidance of no hikes in 2026. It has slammed the central bank of its ‘unambiguously worse’ problem with inflation.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran conclude in Switzerland for the time being with an agreement to reach a final deal within 60 days. The talks had been hampered by President Trump’s renewed threats to strike Iran and Tehran’s resealing of the Strait of Hormuz. Crude prices tumble following Iran’s announcement it would be resuming oil and petrochemical exports. Asian equities bounce on the news, led by Japan’s Nikkei index. Under-pressure UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could announce his resignation as early as today with increasing numbers of Labour MPs calling for him to quit.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. and Iran both sign their MOU for their peace framework. Crude prices tumble with hopes growing that the Strait of Hormuz will now re-open. President Trump warns the U.S. will reserve the right to retaliate should Tehran violate the deal. The Federal Reserve holds rates steady during Kevin Warsh’s first decision as chairman of the central bank, but officials say hikes loom later in the year. Warsh said his key concern is to bring inflation back to its 2 per cent target. The CEOs of Anthropic, Google and DeepMind have led calls for a U.S.-led AI coalition for the sector. Tech executives and world leaders have convened at the G7 summit in Evian, France where French President Emmanuel Macron warned against nationalistic policies within the sector.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the G7 summit in Evian, France, touting a win via the signing of a peace framework with Iran. The deal extends the ceasefire by 60 days and re-opens the Strait of Hormuz. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is also at the summit and is due to meet leaders with EU membership discussions on the agenda. The BoJ lifts its benchmark interest rate to 1 per cent – its highest level in 30 years – seeking to normalise monetary policy and bring down inflation. Wall Street is in the green following news of the Middle East peace agreement. The Nasdaq surged 3 per cent on Monday while SpaceX shares clock a further 20 per cent in growth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oil dips after a White House official says the U.S. and Iran are close to a temporary peace agreement. Vice President JD Vance says he feels ‘pretty good’ about how negotiations are progressing. Today’s fall in crude prices are close to 20 per cent on the month. Equities in the U.S. have ended a stellar month of May while European markets lag behind. A.I. giant Anthropic builds up its latest round of funding by almost 200 per cent, bringing its market value to just short of $1tn to overtake OpenAI and become the most valuable A.I. start-up on the planet. Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin suffers a major setback in its bid to compete with SpaceX as a test rocket explodes into a gigantic fireball on lift-off.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SK Hynix becomes the latest company to be valued at $1tn due to investor enthusiasm for A.I.-linked semi-conductor stocks. Iran accuses the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire with President Trump set to hold a cabinet meeting with high-stake peace negotiations ongoing. New car registrations in the EU surge 5.1 per cent with high fuel costs prompting renewed interest in EVs. However, Ferrari share plummet as its first EV offering, the Luce, is widely criticized. BP ousts its chairman Albert Manifold after less than a year in the position amid concerns over his conduct, governing standards and oversight.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

European equities look set to enjoy a day in the green following the Dow’s record close yesterday. Bond yields also dip slightly after a volatile week. Crude prices inch up as Washington D.C. and Tehran remain at loggerheads over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slams reported suggestions of a permanent Iranian toll system in the Gulf which would make any diplomatic agreement ‘unfeasible’. Luxury cosmetics giant Estée Lauder sees shares surge in after-hours trade after merger talks with Puig collapse. The tie-up would have created a $40bn beauty titan. And the White House hits pause on an EO on A.I. as President Trump said certain aspects of the plan could hamper American leadership in the sector.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.