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* European shares hit new record high
* Takeover deal boosts Meggitt by 60%
* Futures point to positive Wall Street open
Aug 2 - Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of
markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your
thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com
EUROPE INC. Q2... BUYBACKS AND MARGIN SURPRISE (0901 GMT)
With 60% of STOXX 600 companies having already reported
quarterly numbers, we're more than halfway through the earnings
season and it's time for analysts to take stock.
Profit growth has beaten expectations, but that has hardly
surprised anyone. More interesting, perhaps, is that share
buybacks are on the rise and margins overall haven't
disappointed despite inflation pressures.
Here are some thoughts on these two takeaways, courtesy of
Morgan Stanley and UBS respectively.
On buybacks (MS): "One standout positive that we've noted
over earnings season so far has been the sharp uptick in
fresh/reinstated buyback programs - EU transcript mentions for
'buybacks'are at the top of their 5Y range... more buybacks in
Europe should be a positive signal for individual stocks and the
wider European market."
On margins (UBS): "In aggregate margins have beaten, with 16
out of the 24 sectors beating on margins and just 4 missing.
This gives us conviction that companies have pricing power.
Margin beats... still support our theory of further margin
expansion led by the highest operating leverage in 18 years."
(Danilo Masoni)
*****
BULLS IN CHARGE (0801 GMT)
It's clearly risk-on at the open in Europe with the equity
bulls lifting the STOXX 600 to a new record peak on the
back of fresh M&A activity and strong Q2 earning updates.
UK aero-defence firm Meggitt is the standout mover,
up 60% to the top of the STOXX after agreeing to a 6.3 billion
pounds takeover by U.S. industrial firm Parker-Hannifin.
Well-received results from the likes of AXA and HSBC and a
positive outcome of the ECB stress tests that delivered no nasty
surprises are also giving a helping hand.
Defensives are slightly underperforming but gains are
broad-based and almost five out of six stocks are moving in
positive territory.
Here's your opening snapshot:
(Danilo Masoni)
*****
A NEW SUNNY DAY, WITH THE SAME OLD CLOUDS (0659 GMT)
It's a new week, a new month and time for a fresh start -
but the problems niggling at markets this morning are still the
same.
Chinese stocks' continued rebound after a selloff caused by
Beijing's regulatory crackdown lifted markets across Asia.
European and U.S. equity futures are also higher thanks
companies' second-quarter earnings that are up 120% and 90%
respectively year-on-year.
Add to that more fiscal stimulus in the United States where
senators unveiled a sweeping $1 trillion infrastructure plan
that could pass this week.
But releases of Asia purchasing manager indexes (PMI) show
clouds on the horizon; rising input costs and a new wave of
coronavirus infection overshadowed solid global demand,
highlighting the fragile nature of the region's recovery.
Manufacturing activity rose in export powerhouses Japan and
South Korea, but China readings confirm that growth is indeed
slowing amid rising costs and extreme weather in the world's
second largest economy.
China's central bank pledged over the weekend to maintain a
prudent, flexible and targeted monetary policy to support growth
while keeping the digital economy in check.
The growth concerns sent oil 1% lower and kept the dollar
just above a one-month low.
More PMI readings are due today and Wednesday, but this
week's biggest datapoint is Friday's U.S. payrolls --- the last
major jobs reading available to the Fed before its Jackson Hole
summit, where many expect it to say when it will start tapering
bond-buying.
Then there are geopolitical tensions. The United States and
Britain have pointed the finger at Iran, blaming it for last
week's attack on an Israeli-managed petroleum product tanker
that killed two people.
Back on the earnings front, HSBC continues the run
of forecast-beating Q2 numbers, reporting first-half pretax
profit that more than doubled from last year when it made huge
provisions for pandemic-related bad loans.
Heineken, the world's second-largest brewer,
reported first-half earnings above expectations but said the
rest of the year could be less rosy given cost pressures and
COVID-19.
Finally, the U.S. debt ceiling suspension expired on the
weekend, forcing the Treasury into extraordinary measures to get
by. Later on Monday, it will announce its overall refunding
plans.
Key developments that should provide more direction to
markets on Monday:
-German retail sales June
-U.S. ISM manufacturing PMI
-Auctions: 6-m and 3m t-bills
-European earnings: HSBC, Axa,
Heineken, Ferrari
-U.S. earnings: Royal Caribbean
(Karin Strohecker)
*****
EUROPE KICKS OFF AUGUST ON THE GOOD FOOT (0626 GMT)
European shares look set to start the month in positive
territory with the mood buoyed by a strong rebound in China
stocks and progress on a U.S. infrastructure bill.
Following gains in Asia, futures on European country
benchmarks were trading up around 0.4%, while U.S. stock futures
were also pointing to a positive start on Wall Street later on.
On the corporate news front, earnings and deal making
activity could liven up the session today.
HSBC reported forecast-beating first-half pretax profit with
its shares in Hong Kong last up 1.5% and set for a third
straight session of gains.
Anotherone to watch is brewer Heineken, which doubled
profits but warned costs could eat into margins, in the latest
sign of rising inflationary pressures.
In M&A, Vonovia has sweetened its bid for rival Deutsche
Wohnen, while private equity firm CD&R is reportedly set to make
a counter bid for UK supermarket chain Morrisons.
Over in Australia, Afterpay shares rallied as much as 29%
after the company agreed to a $29 bln buyout by Square, the
payments firms of Twitter's TWTR.N Jack Dorsey.
(Danilo Masoni)
*****
