Squawk Box Europe Express

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers a long-anticipated rate cut as labour market concerns mount Stateside. President Trump is treated to a series of royal ceremonies, military parades, a flypast and a lavish white-tie banquet during his unprecedented second state visit to the UK. Today the focus turns to trade deals and a business roundtable together with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. And in the City, investors await a potential Bank of England rate hold and whether policy makers move to rein in the pace of UK gilts.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. tech companies unveil more than $50bn in UK investments as President Trump arrives in the country for an unprecedented second state visit. CPI figures in the UK come in at 3.8 per cent – up 0.3 per cent month-on-month in August. In the U.S., investors are braced for a key rate decision from the Federal Reserve. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the central bank has been behind the curve and now expects movement from the central bank. Swiss food giant Nestlé’s chairman Paul Bulcke steps down after almost 10 years at the helm. Pablo Isa has been named his successor, just weeks after the sudden departure of CEO Laurent Freixe due to the revelation of romantic improprieties with a subordinate co-worker. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Google is the latest U.S company to unveil a UK investment as President Trump prepares to fly into the country for his historic second state visit. Trump is also due to speak to his Chinee counterpart President Xi Jinping on Friday following reportedly successful trade talks about TikTok’s ownership. With the FOMC convening, traders are anticipating a cut from the central bank as board of governors Trump nominee Stephen Miran is confirmed by the Senate. However, an appeals court rejects the President’s decision to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook over claims she committed mortgage fraud.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese manufacturing growth in August came in at its weakest for a year while retail sales slumped to a nine-month low. Fitch downgrades France's credit rating to A+ from AA- due to a rising debt ratio and political upheaval following the collapse of Francois Bayrou's government. The UK announces investment from big banks and a nuclear power agreement ahead of President Trump's second state visit. However, several large pharmaceutical companies are snubbing further investment in the UK following a falling out over drug pricing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. core inflation data comes in as expected while unemployment claims are almost at 4-year highs which boosts hopes of a Fed rate cut next week. Global equities respond by pushing into the green. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to hold talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Madrid next week. Top of the agenda will be trade, security and Tik Tok’s presence in the U.S.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A 36 per cent surge in Oracle shares helps to fuel a second day in the green for the S&P 500 after the tech giant announced a series of multi-billion dollar A.I. cloud deals. A police manhunt is under way following the assassination of conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, at a university campus event in Utah. The ECB is expected to hold interest rates steady today but further cuts are still expected by year-end as French political gridlock threatens wider growth across the euro zone. And buy-now, pay-later lender Klarna makes its public debut on the NYSE, breathing new life into Wall Street’s capital markets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel fires missiles at Hamas’ leadership targets in Qatar, undermining hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza and drawing the ire of President Trump. Emmanuel Macron appoints defence minister Sebastien Lecornu as his next prime minister. Lecornu is now tasked with passing the government’s reform agenda as well as a its fiscal package. A U.S. judge has temporarily prevented President Trump from firing Fed governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage improprieties, saying that the claims of fraud before she was appointed would not constitute grounds for removal. And in pharma news, drug maker Novo Nordisk is set to slash up to 9,000 jobs on the back of weaker sales and strong competition Stateside.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are live in Paris where the French government has collapsed after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou loses a vote of confidence over his austerity budget. France will now seek its fifth prime minister in less than two years. Bayrou warned lawmakers that while they can oust him, they cannot ‘erase reality’ about the country’s ballooning debt. We are also in Munich at the IAA Mobility 2025 show where European car makers show off their latest models with Chinese rivals cranking up the pressure across the Continent. Xpeng boss He Xiaopeng tells CNBC he plans to take his mass-market Mona brand overseas next year. At the Gastech summit in Milan we speak to TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné who says European energy markets must diversify in the face of Opec+ output hikes, U.S. tariffs and tighter sanctions on Russia. And the European single market also dominates discussions at the Ambrosetti Forum with former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta telling this channel that President Trump’s tariffs have served as a ‘fe

We hear from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal at the Ambrosetti Forum who calls last week’s military parade attendees in Beijing “a tableau of tyrants”. The Democratic senator for Connecticut urged the U.S. and Europe to present a united front against an “axis of upheaval”. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns after less than a year in power following a sequence of failed elections. The Nikkei, however, surges on anticipation Ishiba’s successor may usher in wider fiscal loosening. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is on the verge of being ousted in today’s vote of no confidence in his austerity budget - a result which will raise concern over France’s ability to cut debt and spending. In oil news, Opec+ nations move to unwind production cuts, boosting output by 137,000bpd in October as Saudi Arabia looks to reassert its market dominance.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are live on the shores of Lake Como in Italy where trade and defence will the focus at the Ambrosetti Forum. We hear from Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz who says the EU should have performed better in trade negotiations with the U.S. The S&P 500 hits a new record high and bond yields fall following this week’s multi-year highs as markets await today’s U.S. jobs data, hoping for further Fed rates easing. Ukrainian allies agree to post-war security guarantees at a summit in Paris with arrangements made for international troops to be stationed on land and at sea, despite admitting that a peace deal remains elusive.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The recent bond rout calms but deeper concerns about the global fiscal picture keeps bond yields at multi-year highs. We hear from Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp who says markets should closely monitor government responses. In the U.S., a soft jobs reports raises hopes of a September rate cut and helps ease pressure on the bond market. Fed chair candidate pick Christopher Waller suggests more rate cuts are on their way. And in France, President Macron holds a ‘coalition of the willing’ summit for Ukraine and its allies as supportive nations seek to shore up U.S. support for eventual post-war guarantees.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

French and British bond yields hit multi-year highs as a rout develops on fiscal concerns. Beijing hosts world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un at a mass military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2. In tech news, Alphabet company Google notches a huge anti-trust win following a ruling by a U.S court which deemed it would not have to offload its Chrome browser. However, the company was instructed to share its search data with rivals. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nestlé ousts its CEO Laurent Freixe following the revelation of an undisclosed relationship with a subordinate co-worker. The head of Nespresso, Philipp Navratil, has been appointed to run the Swiss food giant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, calling him ‘a dear friend’ as the two countries seek to strengthen global alliances following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. In France, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National party calls for new elections as Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s government teeters on the brink of collapse.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts leaders from more than 20 nations at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Xi outlined his vision for a new global bloc to counter the current U.S. administration. An appeals court in the U.S. rules that most of President Trump’s trade tariffs are illegal which could trigger worldwide economic uncertainty. In retail news, shares in Alibaba soar on the back of strong A.I.-related sales in its cloud division. The Chinese e-commerce giant is reportedly working to produce an A.I.-focused semi-conductor.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fired Fed Governor Lisa Cook faces renewed pressure after a third criminal referral over her mortgage applications surfaces. President Trump shuts down a century-old tax loophole and threatens a 50 per cent levy on goods worth less than $800. And the European Union threatens Iran with a 30-day deadline to offer concessions regarding its nuclear programme or risk increased sanctions being reinstated.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nvidia shares slump in after-hours trade as slowing revenue growth causes it to miss quarterly expectations in its data centre business. German defence company Rheinmettal unveils what will be Europe’s largest munitions plant. We hear from CEO Armin Papperger who says his company is doing his ‘utmost’ to fast-track defence production. Tesla European sales fall in July by more than 40 per cent – a seventh consecutive month of decreasing market share for the electric car maker.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fired Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook launches a lawsuit against her dismissal by President Trump which is now set to go all the way to the Supreme Court. France is on the brink of yet another parliamentary quagmire after French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou decides to put his budget cuts toa vote of no-confidence. Opposition lawmakers are vowing to oust Bayrou over the measures. Equities and sovereign debt sell off as a result. And in tariff news, Washington applies an additional 25 per cent levy on India as a result of purchases of discounted Russian oil. Option markets wait on Nvidia earnings, anticipating what could be a 6 per cent share move in either direction as Q2 earnings come to a close.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump dismisses Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage loan improprieties but Cook says Trump has no grounds to remove her. In France, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou says he will put his budget cuts to a confidence vote in parliament. The three main opposition parties have already vowed to oppose his measures. And President Trump has threatened further tariffs on countries that tax or regulate American tech companies and his administration is also considering sanctions on EU or member state officials for implementing the Digital Services Act.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell suggests labor market risks are now greater than inflation fears with a September rate cut now on the table. The markets respond with the Dow posting its best day in more than three months. In M&A news, drinks giant Keurig Dr Pepper is reportedly set to swoop for Dutch coffee group JDE Peet’s with an $18bn offer. The combined company would eventually split its drinks and coffee units.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The focus is on Jackson Hole, WY., ahead of U.S. Federal reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s keynote speech. The summit is overshadowed by political pressure over interest rates with policy makers divided over the forecast. Kansas City Fed chair Jeffrey Schmid tells CNBC a September rate cut is not set in stone. Wall Street is in the red with the S&P 500 suffering its longest losing streak since the start of the year as investor jitters over the A.I. outlook affect the world’s biggest tech firms. Nvidia is set to cease production of its China-focused H20 chip as authorities cite security concerns and urge local tech firms to stop all purchases.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.