European markets open to close, earnings, data and news

The U.K.’s central bank shouldn’t rush to increase interest rates, according to Julian Howard, Lead Investment Director of Multi Asset Solutions at GAM Investments, despite the slumping pound.

“I don’t think it’s the Bank of England’s job to shore up the pound,” Howard told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Tuesday.

“I prefer to frame this as a global phenomenon and I think the Bank of England should hold off before raising rates any further,” he said.

He also said that talk of the U.K. becoming an emerging market is “a little bit premature.”

“Some even said we’re becoming a Mediterranean country but without the weather – I think that’s too harsh,” Howard said. 

“I think in the medium term [deregulation and tax cuts] could be very helpful, but the market has decided to ignore it,” he told CNBC.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Shares Nexi gained 6% in early trade to lead the Stoxx 600 after the Italian payments group published its new business plan, in which it projected 2.8 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in excess cash generation between 2023 and 2025 for M&A and share buybacks.

At the bottom of the European blue chip index, Swedish IVF company Vitrolife fell more than 9%.

“We made money today. We are up in August. We’re up for the year,” fund manager Dan Niles told CNBC.

As major stock markets remain deep in the red this year, the investment veteran shares what he’s buying in this volatile market.

Pro subscribers can read more.

— Zavier Ong

U.S. inflation is “unacceptably high” and uncertainties make monetary policy decisions “not trivial,” said Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester in prepared remarks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“When there is uncertainty, it can be better for policymakers to act more aggressively,” she said. “Aggressive and pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcomes from actually coming about.”

She said she will be “very cautious” when assessing inflation data.

“I will need to see several months of declines in the month-over-month readings,” she said. “Wishful thinking cannot be a substitute for compelling evidence.”

–Jihye Lee

The World Bank has slashed its 2022 full-year growth forecast for the East Asia and Pacific region to 3.2% from its April prediction of 5%, it said in its latest report released Tuesday.

“The slowing growth is mostly due to China,” it said, adding the organization also cut its 2022 forecasts for the nation to 2.8% from 5%. The World Bank expects China to grow 4.5% in 2023.

The report said the median headline inflation is seen to surpass 5% this year, an upward revision from 3% previously forecasted in April.

–Jihye Lee

Analysts are once again starting to get bullish on Nvidia, after the semiconductor giant lost favor amid geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in the chip sector.

Citi and JPMorgan both said last week that solid demand in PC gaming, as well as cloud adoption in data centers, were set to be tailwinds for Nvidia.

So how much upside did they each give Nvidia shares? CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Weizhen Tan

European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Wednesday as investors react to the latest U.S. inflation data.

The U.K.’s FTSE index is expected to open 47 points lower at 7,341, Germany’s DAX 86 points lower at 13,106, France’s CAC 40 down 28 points and Italy’s FTSE MIB 132 points lower at 22,010, according to data from IG.

Global markets have pulled back following a higher-than-expected U.S. consumer price index report for August which showed prices rose by 0.1% for the month and 8.3% annually in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, defying economist expectations that headline inflation would fall 0.1% month-on-month.

Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, climbed 0.6% from July and 6.3% from August 2021.

U.K. inflation figures for August are due and euro zone industrial production for July will be published.

— Holly Ellyatt