US equities closed at fresh highs yesterday, while European shares rose about 1% and Asian markets showed a mixed advance: mainland China jumped roughly 1.5%, Hong Kong gained about 2.5% and Japan slipped 0.4%. US futures pointed to a modestly lower open. Oil eased about 1%, with Brent trading near $94 a barrel.
Corporate and currency moves underpinned the rally. Bloomberg reported UniCredit’s stake in Commerzbank has surpassed the 30% threshold, a development likely to intensify takeover speculation. The Chinese yuan climbed to a four‑year high against a trade‑weighted basket of currencies, reflecting improving capital inflows and policy support.
France touted a bumper haul at the Choose France summit, where President Emmanuel Macron announced some €93 billion in foreign direct investment commitments from global firms including SoftBank, Foxconn and Salesforce, part of a push to boost industrial and tech capacity.
European inflation topped 3% for the first time since 2023, increasing the odds of an ECB rate hike in June. EU lawmakers cleared a transatlantic trade deal for final approval, and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen secured a third term after protracted coalition talks.
On the tech front, Alphabet is planning an $80 billion raise to finance AI investments, while Anthropic has reportedly filed for an IPO with a valuation near $1 trillion, underscoring investor appetite for artificial‑intelligence plays.