stocks, news, data and earnings

Steve Englander, global head of research and chief strategist at Standard Chartered, discusses why the Federal Reserve will want to cut interest rates this year despite continued inflationary pressures.

European oil and gas stocks nudged 0.3% higher Monday, while most sectors were lower.

Stocks were following crude oil prices upward, with ICE Brent Crude futures with May expiry up by 0.83% to $86.14 a barrel at 10:37 a.m. in London amid concerns over geopolitical tensions and U.S. supply.

— Jenni Reid

Shares of British insurance firm Direct Line were 12.6% lower at 9 a.m. London time, after Belgium insurer Ageas on Friday said that it would not make an offer for the company following two attempts to engage with Direct Line’s board. Ageas shares were up 1.5% at a one-year high.

Shares of Germany’s Delivery Hero slid 4.1%. The company on Monday said that its chief financial officer, Emmanuel Thomassin, will depart at the end of September 2024 after a decade in the role.

Fintech Wise meanwhile announced that Thomassin will be joining the company as its new CFO in October.

— Jenni Reid

European stock markets opened in mixed territory Monday as traders head into a shortened trading week.

The benchmark Stoxx 600 was 0.07% higher at 8:11 a.m. in London, with Germany’s DAX up by 0.15% and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 up 0.07%. France’s CAC 40 was flat.

Markets are still red-hot even after a very good 2023, when the S&P 500 soared around 24%.

The S&P 500 is up around 10% year-to-date, and in fact hit new record highs in March.

Many stocks have soared and even beaten the broader market, but is there still room for some companies to run?

Using FactSet, CNBC Pro screened the S&P 500 and the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF for stocks that are beating the market so far this year — and that analysts love.

Just five stocks turned up from the S&P 500 screen.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Weizhen Tan

Markets are red-hot, and investors might be wondering what they can buy right now.

On top of that, some are calling for investors to move out of cash if rates do fall.

If you had a spare $1 million to invest right now, what should you buy?

CNBC Pro asked fund managers and wealth advisors how they would allocate their portfolios with that money. Recommendations range from tech to AI’s power needs — and a stock portfolio for the “moderately aggressive” investor.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Weizhen Tan

European markets are set to open in mixed territory Monday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 8 points lower at 7,925, Germany’s DAX up 18 points at 18,231, France’s CAC 5 points higher at 8,155 and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 26 points at 33,813, according to data from IG. 

Data releases include U.K. fourth-quarter gross domestic product figures.

— Holly Ellyatt