Susanna Riva This morning's trading revealed a clear divide between Asia, which is showing signs of recovery, and Europe, which is still adjusting to political and macroeconomic factors. Attention focused on the IPO announcement of Anthropic, an artificial intelligence giant, which fueled expectations for both US tech stocks and Asian markets.
Japanese stock market rebounds driven by AI and semiconductors
The Nikkei 225 opened higher, gaining 0,66% or 417 points to 63.686,31. The Topix index followed suit, buoyed by strength in semiconductor stocks and excitement over Wall Street news.
Pressure on the yen , trading at 157,80 per dollar and 175,60 per euro, supported Japanese exporters, helping to strengthen the session's overall gain.
The Role of Anthropic's IPO
The company, led by Dario Amoderi, has submitted a listing proposal on the Nasdaq, targeting a valuation of between $1.500 and $2.000 per share, with a target of raising $100 billion.
This potentially large-scale event was perceived as confirmation of the return of confidence in the artificial intelligence sector, prompting investors to release capital into stocks related to this technology.
European markets remain in negative territory
In Italy, the FTSE MIB attempted to defend the 49,000 point level, but slipped 0,3%. In Paris, the CAC 40 closed down 0,4% on the same day as the budget law vote. Frankfurt and Madrid also fell 0,15%, marking an overall unfavorable morning for Europe.
Political and geopolitical factors
Investors' attention has shifted to the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections , considered a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to the vote on France's budget bill. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged after its last hike in September, adding further uncertainty to the markets.
Information on Italian sectors and companies
Among listed companies, Stellantis and Mediobanca each lost 1,3%, while Snam , Iveco , and STMicroelectronics posted gains of between 0,6% and 0,7%. The banking sector came under pressure, with Banco BPM slightly down 0,15% due to a possible abstention from voting on the takeover bid proposed by MPS's Lovaglio . Unipol increased its capital to strengthen its Siena branches, ahead of an acquisition by Intesa, which closed down 0,7%.
Energy price and exchange rate trends
Brent crude futures for December surpassed $116 a barrel (+0,25%), while WTI reached $102 (+0,3%). Gas in Amsterdam traded at 96,7 euros per megawatt-hour. On the currency market, the euro/dollar fell slightly to 1,1161, the euro/yen was stable at 176,17, and the dollar continued to strengthen at 157,85 yen.
Overall, the day highlighted a stark contrast between the optimism sparked by AI in Asia and the political and market pressures holding back European prices, leaving traders uncertain about the ultimate impact of upcoming economic and geopolitical decisions.