Global markets paused their slide on Thursday as investors awaited Nvidia’s earnings — now the focal point for anxiety over stretched AI valuations that has weighed on sentiment for weeks. U.S. equities fell for a fourth straight session on Wednesday, extending the tech-led pullback.
In Europe, the Dutch government returned control of chipmaker Nexperia to its Chinese owners, resolving a months-long standoff that had threatened to disrupt the region’s auto manufacturing supply chain.
On the corporate front, Home Depot cut its full-year outlook after quarterly results fell short of expectations, citing continued pressure on U.S. consumers. Signs of a cooling labor market also persisted, with 232,000 Americans filing jobless claims in the week ended Oct. 18.
Despite near-term caution, European executives are sounding more optimistic about 2026, according to a Bloomberg review of earnings-season commentary, which found companies increasingly confident the worst of 2025’s slump is behind them.
Stocks stabilized overnight, with markets in Europe and Asia trading close to flat. U.S. futures signal modest gains at the open.