Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Apr 08, 2026

European stocks slip as banking turmoil keeps sentiment fragile

European stocks slip as banking turmoil keeps sentiment fragile

European stock indexes edged lower on Friday after an early recovery ran out of steam, while Wall Street futures were mixed as investor sentiment remained fragile after a week of turbulence.
In a crisis that began with the collapse of US-based Silicon Valley Bank last Friday, risk appetite plunged earlier in the week as investors lost confidence in regional banks in the US and Credit Suisse in Europe. The tumultuous week saw bond yields drop as investors lowered their expectations for future rate rises.

Risk appetite showed signs of recovery on Thursday, helped by Credit Suisse saying it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank and, later in the day, a group of major banks injecting $30 billion in deposits into First Republic Bank, a mid-sized US lender.

Still, analysts say the worry about a possible banking crisis is far from over.

Credit Suisse’s chief executive said on Friday the bank was working hard to stem customers outflows, although this could take time. Credit Suisse shares resumed their decline.

European Central Bank supervisors do not see contagion for euro zone banks from the market turmoil, a source familiar with the content of an ad hoc supervisory board meeting earlier this week told Reuters.

At 1207 GMT, the MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was up 0.3 percent on the day.

Europe’s STOXX 600 was down 0.1 percent and set to lose 1.9 percent on the week overall.

London’s FTSE 100 was little changed. Wall Street futures were mixed.

The US 2-year Treasury yield, which is the most sensitive to shifts in interest rate expectations, was up 1 basis point on the day at 4.1426 percent — still closer to Wednesday’s six-month low of 3.72 percent than the peak of 5.084 percent it hit the previous week, which had been its highest since 2007.

The European Central Bank raised rates by 50 bps on Thursday, sticking to its pledge to fight inflation even as some investors called for a pause in the rate-hiking cycle until the banking turmoil eases.

The benchmark German 10-year yield was down 5 bps at 2.193 percent .

Markets are pricing in a 25 bps increase by the US Federal Reserve when it meets next week, down from previous expectations for a 50 bps increase.

Fed data on Thursday showed that banks sought record amounts of emergency liquidity in recent days, which in turn helped undo months of central bank effort to shrink the size of its balance sheet.

“The fact that the Fed has been very proactive in terms of opening the liquidity tap is potentially useful and that’s stabilized things in the short term at least,” said Guillaume Paillat, multi-asset portfolio manager at Aviva Investors.

“It’s potentially a more stable environment, because it feels like we’ve passed the crisis point and things should normalize a bit.”

Against a basket of currencies, the US dollar was down 0.2 percent. The Australian dollar, seen as a liquid proxy for risk appetite, was up 0.6 percent on the day at $0.6695.

The British pound and the euro were both up 0.2 percent .

Oil prices benefited from the initial resurgence of risk appetite, before paring gains, with Brent crude futures up 0.4 percent and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 0.7 percent after having hit their lowest in more than a year earlier in the week.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
Jordan and Saudi Arabia Declare Absolute Solidarity in Response to Iranian Threats
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premium Amid Strong Market Demand
California’s Salton Sea Emerges as Strategic Lithium Hub for Clean Energy Future
Iranian Drone Strike on US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Reportedly Targeted Intelligence Facility
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Meets French Embassy Official to Strengthen Bilateral Engagement
Saudi Arabia Calls on United States to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape Middle East
Dating Apps Surge in Saudi Arabia as Social Norms Rapidly Evolve Among Youth
Saudi Arabia Detains Over Fourteen Thousand Illegal Residents in Week-Long Enforcement Drive
Saudi Foreign Minister Engages in Diplomatic Talks with Pakistan, Kuwait and Latvia on Regional Developments
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missile as Regional Tensions Intensify
Saudi Stock Market Edges Higher as Tadawul Index Records Modest Gain
Underlying Rivalry Between Saudi Arabia and UAE Persists Despite Temporary Calm
Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Sector Contracts in March as Regional Tensions Weigh on Business Activity
Saudi Arabia Unveils Ambition to Establish Prestigious Global Prize Rivaling the Nobel
Saudi Crown Prince to Engage Wall Street in Push for Investment and Economic Expansion
Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia and UAE After Downing of Chinese-Made Drone
Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on Hospital in Sudan, Calls for Protection of Civilians
Coordinated Drone Strike Targets CIA Facility Within US Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Italy’s Meloni Prioritises Energy Security and Strait of Hormuz Stability During Gulf Tour
Uncertainty Emerges Over Timeline and Direction of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Ski Resort Project
UAE and Saudi Arabia Escalate Strategy with Drone Operations Targeting Iran
Trump Delivers Characteristic Remarks on Saudi Crown Prince Amid Intensifying Iran Conflict
Drone Strike on US Embassy in Riyadh Caused Greater Damage Than First Reported
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Solutions for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Saudi Arabia’s Online Car Market Accelerates with AI Pricing and Fully Digital Buying Experience
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Defence Strategy as Iranian Drone Threat Drives Shift in Military Partnerships
Drone Strikes Target Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Japan and Saudi Arabia Align Efforts to Ease Rising Tensions with Iran
Saudi Crown Prince and Italy’s Meloni Strengthen Strategic Ties in High-Level Talks
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment from Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Ahead of IPO
Saudi Arabia Lifts Key Import Barriers to Expand Access for U.S. Beef Exports
Saudi Arabia Enforces Strict Travel Penalties for Visits to Restricted Countries
×