Live | Google Joins $3 Trillion Club on Winning Wall street; ASML Drives Higher AEX
The AEX closed 1.1 percent higher today, buoyed by strong performance from Dutch chip funds. ASML, Asmi, and Iron led the gains, rising up to 6 percent each, benefiting from positive sentiment following gains in technology shares on Wall Street.
This week’s market focus is heavily on central bank meetings, with sessions held in the US, Canada, Japan, and the UK. All eyes are on the Federal Reserve, anticipated to potentially lower interest rates for the first time this year on Wednesday. This expectation is supported by weaker labor market figures and calls from President Trump for lower loan costs to stimulate the economy.
Positive news regarding US-China trade discussions, with President Trump stating on Monday that talks went well, further fueled investor confidence and encouraged position-taking ahead of the FED decision.
banks also contributed to the upward trend, with ING, ABN AMRO, and Aegon all rising more than 1 percent. Prosus added 1.9 percent. Conversely, defensive stocks like Unilever, AHOLD Delhaize, and Wolters Kluwer experienced losses, falling by up to 1.5 percent. DSM-Firmenich closed down over 1 percent, while Shell and KPN also ended the day in the red.
the Midkap performed less strongly, gaining less than 0.1 percent to close at 898.09 points. This was partially due to a 2.5 percent price drop for Air France-KLM, following a call from trade unions for ground staff to strike, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights scheduled for Wednesday. KLM previously scrapped over a hundred flights last week due to similar labor action.
In the small cap segment, flow Traders jumped 7.4 percent following a positive recommendation from Oddo BHF, which set a price target of €30.60. Avantibus, however, saw a nearly 13 percent decline after announcing a €65 million claim emission.
European markets also showed positive momentum. The CAC in Paris rose 0.9 percent, despite a downgrade of France’s creditworthiness by Fitch, which cited political instability and concerns about the country’s growing debt, warning it will continue to grow until 2027 without interventions.
In Frankfurt,Rheinmetall saw a gain of 2.6 percent. The German weapon manufacturer is expanding into naval shipbuilding through the acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen, a company that builds frigates in partnership with Damen. The deal, expected to be finalized in early 2026, will also enable Rheinmetall to produce warheads. The acquisition amount was not disclosed.
Notably, Google joined the exclusive club of companies with a market capitalization exceeding $3 trillion on Wall Street.
