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ON THE RADAR: BETTER THAN EXPECTED RESULTS (0745 GMT)
European stocks are poised to open higher after yesterday’s
sell-off but pandemic-related worries continue to weigh.
A batch of good results are on their way while shares in SAP
show a modest 2% rebound in premarket trade after a
double digit fall yesterday.
In the tech space there could be a positive read-across for
European chip stocks following results overnight from
U.S.-listed NXP Semiconductors.
Novartis reports third-quarter profit of $3.47
billion, down from $3.21 billion a year ago but better than
analysts’ forecast of $3.2 billion.
HSBC Holdings Hong Kong-listed shares rose 5% as
the bank says it will embark on a transformation of its business
model, after posting a less-than-expected 35% drop in quarterly
profit.
Santander profit more than trebles in the third
quarter to 1.75 billion euros compared to the same period a year
ago when earnings were affected by multimillion one-off charges
in the U.K.
BP swings to a small profit in the third quarter,
beating forecasts.
Capgemini reports stronger-than-expected quarterly
revenues and says it expects the fourth quarter to show a
further but limited improvement.
Covestro shows a better-than-expected
third-quarter profit, citing cost-cutting measures, improved
volumes in Asia-Pacific and demand recovery.
Whitbread reports revenue 99% behind the previous
year and says near-term visibility remains limited.
On the M&A front Tiffany & Co received regulatory
approvals needed for the completion of its $16 billion
acquisition by French luxury goods group LVMH after it
received a nod from the European Commission.
easyJet raises $398.6 million from the sale and
leaseback of nine aircraft to boost its finances.
(Stefano Rebaudo)
*****
EUROPE’S STOCK FUTURES IN THE BLACK (0633 GMT)
European stock futures are in positive territory along with
their U.S. peers after yesterday’s selloff, but uncertainty
about the pandemic impact on the economy continues to weigh.
Surging coronavirus cases and fears of a double dip scenario
hurt risk sentiment as a recovery is partially priced in.
Gold’s resilience overnight suggests that safe-haven
positioning is increasing, amid slow progress in negotiations on
a U.S. stimulus package and fears of a contested outcome of U.S.
elections.
(Stefano Rebaudo)
