BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are seen opening on a mixed note Friday, with technology stocks likely to be in focus after Intel's Q1 guidance fell short of expectations.
The chip maker forecast quarterly revenue and profit below market estimates, saying it doesn't have the supply it needs for seasonal demand.
Meanwhile, media reports suggest that European investors are increasingly wary of the risks of holding U.S. assets in the face of geopolitical tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has rescinded Canada's invitation to join the 'Board of Peace,' a Gaza peace initiative he announced at the World Economic Forum, without providing a reason for the decision.
Also, Trump said a U.S. naval 'armada' was heading toward the Gulf and that the U.S. is closely watching protests, military signals, and rising tensions in the Middle East.
Responding to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's landmark 'rupture in world order' speech at the World Economic Forum, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that the current global scenario may not be good for the United States in the long run.
'It's not a rupture,' he said. 'If you said to me, 'has America become unreliable?' No. It's just, you had total reliance, and now it's less reliable.'
The emergency summit of European leaders, convened on Thursday to reassess the EU-U.S. relationship, did not take any concrete decision.
'Things are quietening down and we should welcome that,' French President Emmanuel Macron said.
'We remain extremely vigilant and ready to use the instruments at our disposal should we find ourselves the target of threats again,' Macron told reporters, referring to 'bazooka' trade sanctions the bloc had considered using.
The release of U.S. December manufacturing and Services PMI flash figures coupled with any news related to leadership changes at the Federal Reserve may garner investor attention later in the day.
Asian markets were mixed despite U.S. stocks rising for a second consecutive session on easing geopolitical and trade tensions between the United States and Europe. The yen lagged after the Bank of Japan held rates on hold but signaled that it was likely to continue raising interest rates in 2026.
Earlier in the day, data showed that Japan's headline inflation rate slowed sharply to 2.1 percent in December, its lowest level since March 2022, on the back of government subsidies.
Gold held firm above $4,960 per ounce, setting a new record high as the dollar index held losses after falling the most in a month during the New York session.
Oil ticked higher after falling nearly 2 percent on Thursday amid hopes for a Ukraine peace settlement and persistent global oversupply concerns.
U.S. stocks rose overnight, adding to the previous session's rally on relief over President Trump's U-turn on Greenland.
Investors also cheered strong economic data and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's comments that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure will create high-paying trade jobs.
In economic news, applications for U.S. unemployment benefits steadied at low levels last week after a volatile holiday season and consumer prices increased in line with economist estimates in November while Q3 GDP rose 4.4 percent on an annualized basis, the fastest in two years, driven by strong consumer spending, a slew of data revealed.
The Dow and the S&P 500 both rose by 0.6 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.9 percent.
European stocks rose for the first time in five days on Thursday as Trump abandoned his threat to impose new Greenland-linked tariffs.
The pan European Stoxx 600 surged 1 percent. The German DAX rallied 1.2 percent, France's CAC 40 added 1 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up by 0.1 percent.
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