European stocks posted their first back-to-back weekly gains since May as better-than-estimated earnings and lower oil prices fueled a rally in carmakers and banks climbed on speculation that credit-market losses will abate.
Volkswagen AG, Fiat SPA and PSA Peugeot Citroen advanced after the automakers reported profit that exceeded projections and crude fell for a third consecutive week. Credit Suisse Group AG, the second-biggest Swiss bank, rallied the most since March 2003 on earnings that were almost double what analysts expected.
Europe’s Dow Jones STOXX 600 Index increased 0.4 percent this week to 281.76, extending its rebound from a three-year low on July 15 to 5.7 percent. The measure has tumbled 23 percent this year after US$467 billion of credit losses and asset writedowns at banks prolonged the global economy’s slump and inflation eroded profits.
The STOXX 600’s rally from its low this month was led by bank and consumer shares as earnings from Credit Suisse to Citigroup Inc topped estimates and oil tumbled more than 15 percent from its all-time high on July 11. Second-quarter profits at financial firms in the STOXX 600 that reported results so far exceeded analysts’ projections by 15 percent, while consumer-goods makers beat expectations by 7.8 percent, Bloomberg data show.
National benchmark indexes gained in six of the 18 western European markets. The Swiss Market Index added 2.8 percent, and France’s CAC 40 increased 1.8 percent. The UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.4 percent, while Germany’s DAX climbed 0.9 percent.
The STOXX 50 rose 0.7 percent and the Euro STOXX 50, a measure for the euro region, advanced 0.9 percent.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
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