European stocks rebound slightly but still on track for third straight weekly loss on tariff tensions
Reuters – European stocks ended the week higher but were still on track for a third straight weekly loss as uncertainty over the tariff policies of the United States and its major trading partners continued to cloud investor sentiment.
At 07:19 GMT, the pan-regional STOXX 600 index was up 0.5 percent, recovering some ground after hitting its lowest level in nearly 18 months this week. The sharp declines were triggered by US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs and then a partial suspension just hours later, sending shockwaves through global markets that have wiped out trillions of dollars in market value.
Despite the intraday rebound, the benchmark STOXX 600 index is still on track for a third straight weekly loss.
Regional markets rise across the board
Major indexes in major economies such as Germany, Spain, France and the UK all recorded gains of between 0.3% and 0.7%, following the previous session, which saw the strongest percentage gain since 2022.
Trump's tariff pause has prompted the European Union (EU) to delay plans to retaliate with tariffs on US goods. EU finance ministers are scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss a strategy to use the "ceasefire" to negotiate with Washington, or prepare for a worse scenario.
Meanwhile, trade tensions between the US and China continued to escalate, with both sides simultaneously raising tariffs on each other's imports this week, raising concerns about the negative impact on global growth.
Stock Performance: ZURN and STLA Plunge
Among individual stocks, Zurich Insurance (SWX: ZURN) fell sharply by 5.4% ahead of the company’s annual meeting – raising concerns about upcoming strategy changes or earnings.
Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), one of the world’s largest automakers, fell 2.2% after reporting a 9% year-over-year decline in first-quarter shipments, reflecting supply chain and consumer market challenges.
ZURN – Is Now a Good Time to Invest?
After Zurich Insurance’s stock surged in 2024, a growing number of investors are questioning whether current valuations are justified or whether they represent a risk-off point.
In an increasingly unpredictable market, picking stocks to invest in has become more challenging. ProPicks AI, an artificial intelligence portfolio analysis tool developed by Investing.com, is currently tracking six promising stocks, including some that have been overlooked by the market but are up more than 25% this year alone.
Will ZURN be among the next big growth stocks? Investors should carefully consider the fundamentals and the global market context before making a decision.