Live Markets: STOXX 600 dips; broker action, deal talk drive movers

Infineon Technologies AG

18/06/2026 09:11

Adds blog post
STOXX 600 down 0.1%
Airbus upgraded, Infineon leads chip rally
U.S.-Iran deal sparks record highs in Asia
Wall Street futures rise led by tech
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    STOXX 600 DIPS; BROKER ACTION, DEAL TALK DRIVE MOVERS
  
European shares ease in early Thursday trade, catching up with a late drop on Wall Street on the back of hawkish Fed messaging, though declines were cushioned by an interim U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal that boosted U.S. futures and sent Asian shares to new peaks.
The Euro STOXX 50 .STOXX50E and STOXX 600 .STOXX indices fell 0.1%, with top movers driven mainly by broker action and possible dealmaking.
Airbus AIR.PA rose 3.5% to a 4-month high after Kepler upgraded the plane-maker to buy, citing improving sector sentiment on lower oil prices and prospects of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Edenred EDEN.PA stood out, surging 16% after La Lettre reported BC Partners is mulling a potential takeover on the French meal vouchers company.
Chip and other AI-related stocks rallied, led by Infineon IFXGn.DE, up almost 5%, in line with stronger global tech sentiment, with Nasdaq futures rising 1.4%. Sector heavyweight ASML ASML.AS, Europe’s most valuable company, was up 1.3%.
Elsewhere, Carrefour CARR.PA dropped 6% after JPMorgan placed the stock on Negative Catalyst Watch, betting first-half results next month may bring downgrades.
LSEG LSEG.L fell as much as 4.2%, with traders citing a downgrade to neutral from Rothschild Redburn.

(Danilo Masoni)
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EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:
BEFORE THE BELL: EUROPE EYES SOFT OPEN AS FED JITTERS OUTWEIGH U.S. FUTURES BOUNCE CLICK HERE
WARSH DEBUT RAISES RATE-HIKE STAKES CLICK HERE