Europe pins hopes on resumption of negotiations
Diplomatic uncertainty prevails on the eve of the ceasefire expiration between the United States and Iran. Against this volatile backdrop, European equity markets are trading higher in mid-morning deals. The CAC 40 is up 0.12% at 8,321 points, while the Euro Stoxx 50 gains 0.25% to 5,997 points. London and Frankfurt are advancing by 0.11% and 0.51% respectively.
Published on 04/21/2026 at 04:46 am EDT
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The head of the Iranian judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, called for "maintaining 100% readiness" in the face of potential further American attacks, according to a video released by the IRNA agency. He cited a "high probability" of new strikes.
In the commodities market, Brent crude is up 0.70% at 94.59 USD and WTI has gained 0.19% to 86.30 USD.
In corporate news, Atos shares have recovered (+1.66%) after a sharp drop at the open, following the digital services group's downward revision of its 2026 revenue targets.
Aerospace and defense giant Airbus (+0.88%) announced it has reached an agreement to acquire the French cybersecurity specialist Quarkslab. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Vivendi (+1.18%) reported a slight increase in first-quarter 2026 revenue. Sales reached 69 million euros over the period, up 1.3% on an organic basis year-on-year. These revenues are derived almost exclusively from Gameloft, the group's primary operating subsidiary.
Elsewhere in Europe, Associated British Foods (-4.62%) is tumbling in London after announcing plans to spin off its fashion chain Primark from its food operations, following a strategic review of the group's structure.
On the macro front, market participants await the ZEW index for the Eurozone and Germany, ahead of U.S. retail sales (2:30 p.m.) and pending home sales (4:00 p.m.).
In the foreign exchange market, the euro is down 0.16% at 1.1765 USD.




















