FX.co ★ European Stocks Poised for Cautious Open

European equity markets were poised to open slightly lower on Wednesday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision and renewed hostilities in the Middle East added to geopolitical uncertainty. Sentiment was further pressured by a global selloff in semiconductor stocks, driven by mounting concerns over heavy artificial intelligence–related investment and increasingly stretched valuations. In Europe, attention is turning to the Bank of England’s upcoming policy decision and regional GDP figures due on Thursday. On the corporate front, banking majors UBS Group and Standard Chartered unveiled new share buyback plans after posting stronger-than-expected earnings. Investors will also be watching results from L’Oreal, Hermès, Airbus, AON and Deutsche Bank, among others. In premarket trade, Euro Stoxx 50 futures were down 0.2%, while Stoxx 600 futures slipped 0.1%.