Asia Markets
European Equities Mixed in Wednesday Trading; ASML Lifts 2026 Sales Outlook After Higher Q2 Earnings
European stock markets closed mixed in Wednesday trading with the Stoxx 600 increasing 0.1%, Germany's DAX shedding 0.5%, the UK's FTSE 100 down 0.2%, France's CAC 40 adding 0.2%, and the Swiss Market Index advancing 0.5%.Traders assessed continuing tensions in the Middle East. US Central Command said it completed another wave of attacks against Iran at 7:30 am ET to "further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." President Donald Trump reiterated in a post on Truth Social that the US was reinstating a "full" blockade, "but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo."Brent crude was shedding 0.8% to $84.04.In economic news, seasonally adjusted industrial production decreased by 0.2% in May from April in the Eurozone, and by 0.1% in the broader European Union, Eurostat reported. Year on year, industrial output declined by 1.2% in the euro area in May, and by 0.3% in the EU.In corporate news, ASML raised its 2026 revenue guidance after reporting higher Q2 earnings and sales. The company reported Q2 earnings early Wednesday of 7.58 euros ($8.66) per diluted share, up from 5.90 euros a year earlier but below the 8.59 euros consensus estimate by FactSet analysts. Net sales for the quarter ended June 28 were 9.33 billion euros, up from 7.69 billion euros a year earlier but below expectations for 10.44 billion euros. The company now expects 2026 sales of 43 billion euros to 45 billion euros, up from its previous guidance of 36 billion euros to 40 billion euros. Analysts are projecting 39.90 billion euros. Separately, ASML plans to reduce the production and testing cycle for its extreme ultraviolet lithography systems to 15 to 16 weeks from about 22 weeks to meet strong AI-driven demand, Bloomberg reported, citing CFO Roger Dassen. ASML shares decreased 0.3% in Amsterdam.Shell has kicked off a tendering process for drilling services at its Dragon offshore gas project in eastern Venezuela, pressing ahead with its plan to start drilling four wells from Q2 2027, Reuters reported. The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of September if a positive final investment decision is made for the 4.2 trillion-cubic-foot development, the report said. Shell was slightly higher in London.Rio Tinto said late Tuesday its Q2 global iron ore production was 87.1 million metric tonnes, down 1% year over year. Iron ore sales for the quarter rose 5% from a year earlier to 88.8 million metric tonnes. Rio shares fell 1.7% in London.Alphabet's Google is expected to face new EU enforcement actions, including fines and regulatory orders under the bloc's Digital Markets Act, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter and internal European Commission documents. The European Commission is expected to conclude that Google favored its own specialized services in search results and require the company to give app developers greater freedom to direct users to alternative mobile app systems, the report said.JPMorgan Chase is expanding its corporate banking business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and plans to hire 30 senior bankers in the region before year-end, Reuters reported, citing James Roddy, the bank's head of global corporate banking. The EMEA business serves large-cap companies, mid-sized businesses and startups, and the bank aims to facilitate $1.5 trillion in financing for industries critical to national security in the region, including up to $10 billion of its own capital, Reuters cited Roddy as saying.KKR has launched a security sale backed by PayPal's buy now, pay later loans in Germany, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The offering will refinance KKR's exposure to PayPal's German lending business, which the private equity firm funds through a forward-flow agreement supporting new BNPL loans, the report said.
