Europe Inc heads into strongest earnings season in years, but AI gap persists

European companies are heading for their strongest earnings season in more ​than three years, but investors remain concerned that the region lacks enough AI-powered growth engines to keep pace with ‌the United States.

Reuters • Jul 16, 2026

Renewed Hormuz hostilities drive ECB rates rethin amid ‘extremely volatile' outlook

The ECB hiked its key deposit rate by 25 basis points in June as energy prices spiked. Investors had written off a hike at next week's meeting, but higher oil prices have brought monetary policy back into question.

CNBC • Jul 15, 2026

Eurozone Industrial Production Fell Unexpectedly in May

Eurozone industrial output in May snapped a three-month streak of resilient activity in the face of higher energy costs following the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

WSJ • Jul 15, 2026

EU drafts 'electrification' plan to curb oil and gas use, after Iran war disruption

The European Union plans to introduce ‌a raft of policies and funding schemes to shift more of its economy to run on electricity, instead of oil and gas, a draft European Commission proposal seen by Reuters showed.

Reuters • Jul 9, 2026

Banking Risk Monthly Outlook: July 2026

Higher interest rates in some emerging Asian banking sectors will likely lead to slower credit growth by the end of 2027. Serbia's interest rate cap order will expire in September, and expectations of this are likely to boost credit growth before expiration.

Seeking Alpha • Jul 9, 2026

Trump Says Truce With Iran Is ‘Over' And Blasts European Allies At NATO Summit

Threats of a resumed conflict and potential disruption in the Strait of Hormuz triggered a surge in global crude oil prices, with the benchmark Brent Crude Futures index surging above $79 a barrel, up from around $72 at the start of this week.

Forbes • Jul 8, 2026

ECB tells banks to draw up plans against AI attacks amid disruption fears

The European Central Bank on Tuesday gave euro zone banks four months to draw up plans to counter AI-enabled cyber threats ​that could undermine confidence in the financial system and disrupt ‌payments.

Reuters • Jul 7, 2026

ECB gives eurozone banks four months to counter AI risks

The European Central Bank has given eurozone banks four months to develop plans aimed at countering artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cyber threats that could undermine confidence in the financial system and disrupt payment networks. The directive, issued on Tuesday, reflects growing concern among European regulators over the increasing cyber capabilities of advanced AI models.

Invezz • Jul 7, 2026

Citi flags rising short-squeeze risk in European equities as US flows stay strong

The DAX is singled out as the market most likely to see squeeze-driven gains in the weeks ahead Citi has warned that European stock markets face a growing risk of short squeezes, as investors caught betting against rising prices are forced to buy back their positions. The US bank said global equity positioning remained supportive of further gains, but that regional differences were becoming more pronounced.

Proactive Investors • Jul 7, 2026

ECB's Schnabel says Iran shock is not over

The euro zone's economy ​is not back to its state before the Iran war ‌despite a drop in oil prices, as core inflation remains strong and price pressures continue, European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel said on Monday.

Reuters • Jul 6, 2026