Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

European stocks close lower on waning hopes around US-China trade talks

European stocks close lower on waning hopes around US-China trade talks

European markets fell Tuesday as hopes dimmed for a positive result in high-level trade talks between the U.S. and China.
Hong Kong’s stock exchange abandons takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange Group; LSE shares slide 6%.

European markets fell Tuesday as hopes dimmed for a positive result in high-level trade talks between the U.S. and China.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally fell 0.97% by the close with construction, retail and travel stocks plunging more than 1.7% as all sectors and major bourses traded in the red.

Hopes for significant progress took a hit on Monday after the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted 28 Chinese companies over alleged involvement in the abuse of ethnic Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang province.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing were further strained by controversy over a tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets in support of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, which was rebuked by the National Basketball Association following a furious backlash from mainland China.

Chinese state media and Tencent have suspended the broadcast of NBA preseason games in China, while Alibaba shopping sites appear to have de-listed Houston Rockets merchandise in China.

Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday refused to rule out seeking help from central government to deal with the ongoing mass protests.

U.S. stocks opened lower Tuesday which forced another leg down in Europe.

In currency markets, the pound fell sharply against the dollar Tuesday morning after several British media outlets reported that Brexit talks between the U.K. and European Union were close to breaking down. Sterling was trading down at around $1.2215 in afternoon trade.

Hong Kong’s stock exchange on Tuesday abandoned its $39 billion bid for the London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) after failing to win over the LSE board. LSE shares were down nearly 6%.

Data released before the bell on Tuesday showed a surprise increase in German industrial output for August, suggesting Europe’s largest economy may avert a recession. Output rose by 0.3% on the month against expectations of a 0.1% fall.

In terms of individual stocks, Electrocomponents was among the top performers in the Stoxx 600, climbing almost 2% after posting a strong trading update.

Germany’s Qiagen was down nearly 21% by the afternoon, slightly coming off its lowest point in three years after third-quarter sales missed expectations and the company announced that its CEO Peer Schatz will step down.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Will Saudi Arabia End Up Bankrolling Israel’s Post-Ceasefire Order in Lebanon?
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
×