Newsquawk Daily European Equity Opening News - 9th February 2026

ASIA

APAC stocks began the week higher after last Friday's rally on Wall St, where the DJIA topped the 50k level for the first time, while the Nikkei 225 also hit a fresh record high after PM Takaichi's landslide election victory and supermajority. ASX 200 rallied with all sectors in the green and the advances being led by broad strength in tech, real estate, miners, materials and resources. Nikkei 225 rose to fresh record highs above the 57,000 level after the Japanese PM Takaichi's LDP won a supermajority in the lower house election, which would allow it to override the upper house in legislation, while the decisive win paves the way for the government to proceed with further stimulus and a sales tax cut. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp conformed to the widespread upbeat mood across the region, while it was also reported late last week that China's Cabinet studied measures to promote effective investment and pledged to boost support for private investment.

EUROPEAN CLOSES

CLOSES: Euro Stoxx 50 +1.20% at 5,997, Dax 40 +0.93% at 24,720, FTSE 100 +0.59% at 10,370, CAC 40 +0.43% at 8,274, FTSE MIB +0.13% at 45,877, IBEX 35 +1.11% at 17,943, PSI +1.27% at 8,890, SMI +0.34% at 13,512, AEX +1.04% at 995.

SECTORS: IT 2.25%, Industrials 1.40%, Energy 1.39%, Financials 0.99%, Utilities 0.83%, Materials 0.58%, Healthcare 0.35%, Consumer Stpl 0.29%, Telecoms 0.19%, Consumer Disc -0.50%.

FTSE 100

Anglo American (AAL LN) - Angola is seeking to pursue a 20-30% stake in Anglo American's diamond unit De Beers, a proposal being discussed with other diamond-producing African nations, a senior official from Angola's mining ministry told Reuters on Sunday. (Reuters)

BP (BP/ LN) - Cautious mention in Bloomberg; Javier Blas writes BP's share buybacks are a luxury it cannot afford, noting that shareholders are being urged to accept further financial strain in 2026, with a recommendation to cancel the USD 750mln quarterly share buyback and use the funds to reduce debt. Meg O’Neill is set to take charge in April, following years of weak performance compared with major competitors. (Bloomberg)

Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK LN) – Co. receives US FDA ANADA tentative approval for Erdafitnib. (Hikma)

NatWest Group (NWG LN) - NatWest announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Evelyn Partners from funds advised by Permira and Warburg Pincus for GBP 2.7bln enterprise value. Expected to complete Summer 2026. NatWest Group is also announcing a share buyback of GBP 750mln, continuing its strong track record of capital return to shareholders.

WPP (WPP LN) – Co. to overhaul creative agency structure in strategic rethink, according to the FT. (Financial Times)

OTHER UK COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

Experian (EXP LN) downgraded to Add from Buy at AlphaValue

Greggs (GRG LN) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies

Unilever (ULVR LN) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies

DAX

OTHER GERMAN COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

CAC

Capgemini (CAP FP) - Co. and Google Cloud expand strategic partnership to accelerate AI adoption at scale by providing trusted and secure sovereign solutions. (Capgemini)

Sanofi (SAN FP) – Co. announced a breakthrough for its rilzabrutinib drug in the US, along with orphan drug designation in Japan, for the treatment of warm autoimmune hemolytic anaemia. (Sanofi)

STMicroelectronics (STM FP) – Co. expands partnership with AWS (AMZN) on cloud and data centres: issues 24.8mln in warrant to AWS. (STMicroelectronics)

TotalEnergies (TTE FP), Petrobas (PBR) - Namibia said it will not recognise TotalEnergies and Petrobras’ purchase of offshore stakes in the Luderitz Basin until proper approval procedures are followed, Reuters reports. The companies said they each acquired 42.5% of the PEL104 licence, but the government said no formal application was submitted and prior ministerial approval is required. (Reuters)

OTHER FRENCH COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

PAN EUROPE

DSM Firmenich AG (DSFIR NA) – Co. to divest animal nutrition & health to CVC Capital Partners for EUR 2.2bln. (DSM Firmenich)

EU Bank Deposit Guarantee Scheme - The European Commission plans to revive efforts to create a common EU bank deposit guarantee scheme covering deposits up to EUR 100,000, seeking new ideas after the 2015 proposal failed, FT reports. The initiative aims to boost bank competitiveness and cross-border mergers, address market fragmentation, and unlock EUR 225bln of capital and EUR 250bln of liquidity. (FT)

Inpost (INPST NA) - Advent, FedEx (FDX), A&R and PPF announce agreement on recommended all-cash offer for all issued and outstanding InPost shares at an offer price of EUR 15.60 per share. The Transaction is expected to complete in H2 2026. (InPost)

Stellantis (STLAM IM/STLAP FP) - Automotive Cells Company, backed by Stellantis, has dropped plans for gigafactories in Italy and Germany, unions said. Projects in Termoli and Kaiserslautern were shelved after being on standby since May 2024 due to weak EV demand, Reuters reports. ACC will focus on its French plant. (Reuters)

UniCredit (UCG IM) - Q4 (EUR): Revenue 5.69bln (exp. 5.93bln), Net income 2.17bln (exp. 1.77bln), NII 3.43bln (exp. 3.35bln), Net Fee & Commission Income 2.04bln (exp. 2.07bln). FY25 absorbed 1.4bln extraordinary charges. Sees FY26 net profit around 11bln, to return around 50bln to investors in the next 5 years. (UniCredit)

BROKER MOVES

Nexi (NEXI IM) resumed with a Hold at Jefferies

Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI AV) upgraded to Add from Sell at AlphaValue

SMI

Roche (ROG SW) - Genentech said Phase III FENtrepid data showed fenebrutinib met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority versus Ocrevus in reducing disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Fenebrutinib reduced the risk of disability progression by 12%, with effects seen from 24 weeks, and cut worsening on the nine-hole peg test by 26%. (Roche)

UBS Group (UBS) - UBS plans to hire about 50 bankers for its wealth management business in Hong Kong after its North Asia wealth unit delivered record revenue last year, a senior executive cited by Bloomberg said. Hiring will focus more on high net-worth clients rather than ultra-high net-worth individuals. (Bloomberg)

OTHER SWISS COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

SCANDINAVIA

Bakkafrost (BAKKA NO) - Q4 (DKK): Revenue 1.85bln (exp. 2.03bln), Op. EBIT 295mln (exp. 321.6mln). The outlook of fishmeal and fish oil production is dependent on the availability of raw materials. (Bakkafrost)

Electrolux (ELUXB SS) initiated with Neutral by UBS

BROKER MOVES

Coloplast (COLOB DC) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Danske Bank

Nokian Tyres (TYRES FH) downgraded to Hold from Buy by SEB

Sampo (SAMAS FH) downgraded to Reduce from Sell at AlphaValue

Skanska (SKAB SS) downgraded to Hold from Buy by Danske Bank

Valmet (VALMT FH) upgraded to Buy from Hold at SEB ENSKILDA

Vestas Wind Systems (VWS DC) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Kepler Cheuvreux

US

CLOSES: SPX +1.90% at 6,927, NDX +2.15% at 25,076, DJI +2.52% at 50,140, RUT +3.53% at 2,669

SECTORS: Technology +4.13%, Industrials +2.86%, Energy +1.88%, Real Estate +1.84%, Materials +1.80%, Financials +1.79%, Health +1.78%, Consumer Staples +1.34%, Utilities +0.54%, Consumer Discretionary -0.64%, Communication Services -1.49%.

Eli Lilly (LLY), Innovent Biologics (IVBIY) - Eli Lilly agreed to pay USD 350mln upfront to partner with Innovent Biologics on early-stage development of new cancer and immune disorder treatments. Innovent said it could receive up to USD 8.5bln in milestone payments, though the companies did not disclose how many medicines are covered by the agreement.

GLP-1 Drugs - The FDA said it intends to restrict GLP-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients used in non-FDA-approved compounded drugs mass-marketed as alternatives to approved treatments, including by Hims & Hers (HIMS) and other pharmacies. The agency cited consumer safety concerns, misleading advertising, and said enforcement actions could include seizure or injunction.

Tariffs, US Stocks - US President Trump noted the stock market was at record levels and national security was strong, attributing both to tariffs. He predicted the Dow Jones index would reach 100,000 by the end of his term, said he had been right about everything, and urged the US Supreme Court to pay attention.

US-China - China is reportedly urging banks to curb US Treasuries exposure amid market risk, Bloomberg reports. (Bloomberg)

09 Feb 2026 - 07:05- Research Sheet- Source: Newsquawk