European Stock Markets Rise as Investors Monitor Trump-Xi Jinping Meeting
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The majority of European shares moved higher in trading on Thursday (14/5/2026) local time, as investors monitored developments from US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. On the other hand, technology shares received a boost from market enthusiasm over advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Quoting Investing, at 15.05 local time, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.4 per cent. Regional technology shares such as ASML and STMicroelectronics recorded gains, following the technology sector rally on Wall Street in the previous Wednesday’s trading. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have completed the first round of talks in the two-day summit agenda. Xi Jinping told Chinese state media that trade negotiations between the two countries showed positive progress. Global markets are now awaiting the latest developments regarding the potential discussion of the Iran conflict at the meeting. Several analysts believe Trump is likely to try to persuade China, a major importer of Iranian oil, to play a role in maintaining a long-term peace agreement. However, there is no certainty yet whether Beijing is willing to take on that role. Global oil prices also moved higher. Brent crude oil futures, the global benchmark, were last traded above $105 per barrel, surging compared to pre-war levels around $70 per barrel. This rise in oil prices has triggered concerns about a new wave of global inflation, especially after this week’s US consumer and producer price data again showed high inflationary pressures. In addition to geopolitical sentiment, the European market was also influenced by corporate earnings reports. Burberry shares weakened after the British luxury fashion company’s board decided not to distribute dividends and warned of uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions for fiscal year 2027. Meanwhile, Allegro shares strengthened after the Polish e-commerce platform raised its annual performance projections for its international business unit.