Market commentary: A brighter day for European stocks

European stocks gained ground on Wednesday, supported by a rebound in airline and travel-related shares with Credit Suisse shares climbing after news of more cost cuts. Meanwhile, a decline in oil and energy companies weighed on Wall Street as investors backed away from risk, in a week tarnished by the Brussels attacks and shortened by Good Friday. In Asia, stocks finished mixed, with the Nikkei 225 index dipping slightly, and the Shanghai composite finishing marginally up 0.4%.

Wednesday was a brighter day in the travel industry as many companies were regaining some ground lost after Tuesday’s explosions at Brussels Airport and a subway station in central Brussels. German carrier Lufthansa gained 1.15%, and low-cost airline Ryanair added 2.6%. Air France edged up 0.8%, after reversing early losses, and EasyJet also added 1%. Shares in InterContinental Hotels Group also picked up 0.75% in London.

Outside of travel shares, Credit Suisse had a good day on Wednesday. Its shares edged 2% higher after the Swiss investment bank announced that it is targeting deeper cost cuts at its securities unit and is set to eliminate a further 2,000 jobs.

Energy and mining companies topped the list of decliners on Wall Street, as prices of oil, metals and other commodities fell during Wednesday’s session. Two companies that took the biggest hit were Chesapeake Energy and Freeport-Mc Moran, with shares in both firms sinking over 8%. Among miners, Glencore PLC and Anglo American gave up 3.9% and 3.88%, respectively.

One stock that was simply not doing it on Wednesday was Nike. The sportswear maker saw its shares tumble 4% followings a disappointing revenue report that fell far short of what analysts were expecting. Furthermore, the company forecasted a disappointing outlook for 2016 – strange when you consider the heavy summer season for sports, which includes the Euro 2016 football finals as well as the Olympic Games!

Another company taking a tumble after yesterday’s earnings report was Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Shares slumped over 5% as the food company reported weaker-than-expected revenue growth in the holiday quarter. The company’s profit projections also fell short of analyst forecasts. The stock shed 82c to close the day at $14.56.

Safe haven assets, which tend to benefit in times of geopolitical stress, reversed gains made on Tuesday and were heading south on Wednesday, as the dollar strengthened on hawkish comments from US Federal Reserve policymakers. The dollar drew support from Chicago Fed President, who painted an upbeat picture of the economy and implied that rate hikes may be warranted. Gold closed the day in the red, trading at $1,224.

Trading has been relatively muted this week, ahead of the upcoming Easter Holidays. Investors are also looking ahead to first-quarter earnings reports, which start to come out in a couple of weeks’ time.

This article was issued by Rebecca Naudi, Trader at Calamatta Cuschieri. For more information visit, www.cc.com.mt .The information, views and opinions provided in this article are being provided solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice, advice concerning particular investments or investment decisions, or tax or legal advice. Calamatta Cuschieri Investment Services Ltd has not verified and consequently neither warrants the accuracy nor the veracity of any information, views or opinions appearing on this website.