European Markets Open Higher Ahead Of Central Bank Meetings.

European stock markets began the week on a positive note, with investors focusing on several key central bank meetings.

The Europe-wide Stoxx 600 index was up 0.38% in early London trading, with most sectors showing gains. Major markets were also higher. The UK’s FTSE rose 0.43%, Germany’s DAX gained 0.44%, France’s CAC 40 was up 0.30%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB climbed 0.63%.
This is a busy week for European investors. The European Central Bank will hold its final policy meeting of the year on Thursday and is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 2%.

ECB President Christine Lagarde told the Financial Times that the bank may raise its economic growth forecast again in December, after increasing it to 1.2% earlier this year.

Other central banks, including the Bank of England, Sweden’s Riksbank, and Norway’s Norges Bank, will also announce their final policy decisions for 2025 this week. The Bank of England is expected to cut interest rates slightly. Inflation data for the euro zone and the UK will be released on Wednesday.

European leaders will also meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss funding support for Ukraine. Talks may include using frozen Russian assets to support a €210 billion loan for Kyiv.

In the U.S., stock futures were mostly flat on Sunday night after a mixed week on Wall Street, where investors shifted money away from tech stocks to cheaper parts of the market.
U.S. traders are also watching key economic data this week, including jobs numbers, retail sales, and inflation figures.
Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific markets fell on Monday, following last week’s losses on Wall Street.