Europe open: Shares shrug off tariff worries with positive start

(Sharecast News) - European shares opened higher on Thursday, brushing off concerns over US tariffs on hopes the European Union could strike a trade deal with Washington. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was nearing record territory in early deals with a gain of 0.44% to 552. Germany's DAX gained 0.4% and Britain's FTSE 100 0.9%.

"US investors looked the other way as President Trump issued another wave of tariff letters. But uncertainty is still in the air, as investors gear up for an important earnings season in the coming weeks," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Matt Britzman.

"So far, tariffs haven't made a noticeable dent in inflation, but the real test is whether they'll start to weigh on corporate earnings."

"Growth expectations have been falling all year, which could set the stage for upside surprises - if companies have managed to absorb tariff costs through productivity and efficiency gains."

"Still, futures point to a weaker open today, as this unloved bull market continues to wrestle with elevated volatility."

In equity news, shares in Barry Callebaut tumbled as the Swiss chocolate maker cut its volume guidance for the third time this year, citing unprecedented market conditions in the cocoa bean market.

Grafton shares were also on the slide as the building materials supplier said many of its markets remained challenging and it was not expecting a significant increase in volumes this year.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com