BEFORE THE BELL: EUROPE EYES BEST QUARTER SINCE 2022
Europe looks set to end a strong quarter on an upbeat note, with Euro STOXX 50 VELOCITY:STOXX50 and DAX XETR:DAX futures up around 0.6-0.7%, as optimism around artificial intelligence continues to drive global equities.
The region-wide STOXX 600 TVC:SXXP is up more than 9% this quarter, set for its strongest quarterly gain in three and a half years.
Chipmakers and AI-exposed industrials are likely to be the main leadership group at the open. Premarket indications point to gains of 2-3% for heavyweight technology names including ASML EURONEXT:ASML, STMicro EURONEXT:STMPA and Infineon XETR:IFX, while Siemens Energy XETR:ENR is up around 3% after reiterating strong demand trends and robust market momentum.
Shipping stocks are another area to watch after Maersk OMXCOP:MAERSK_A upgraded full-year guidance on strong container demand. Maersk is called up 3-5%, with positive read-across for logistics peer DSV OMXCOP:DSV.
French biotech Abivax EURONEXT:ABVX is the standout mover, seen up 25-30% after positive ulcerative colitis data for obefazimod.
In UK retail, Sainsbury's LSE:SBRY reported slower underlying sales growth in its first quarter, though it left its full-year profit guidance unchanged.