LIVE MARKETS-Before the bell: eyes on BoE, SNB and Risibank

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BEFORE THE BELL: EYES ON BOE, SNB AND RISIBANK

European shares were set to steady a touch below record highs on Thursday as traders hit the pause button after this week's approval of a spending splurge in Germany, with their attention now turning to a flurry of central bank decisions.

Eyes were on the Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank, hours earlier, the Federal Reserve kept US rates unchanged, as expected, waiting for more evidence inflation will keep falling and clarity about the impact of Trump policies.

The BoE looks set to keep rates steady, amid uncertainty over trade policy, although economists mostly expect three more cuts this year. The SNB could instead cut by 25 bps. Sweden's Riksbank, also due to decide on rates, is likely to stand pat.

EuroSTOXX50, DAX and FTSE futures fell 0.1-0.2%, pointing to a second day of soft markets after a strong run this year in the run-up to the German debt deal. Wall Street futures inched up by 0.4-0.5%, adding to a rally on Wednesday.

Germany's largest utility RWE RWEG.DE said it will cut investments by more than a fifth until the end of the decade due to uncertainty around renewable energy returns.

Chemicals maker Lanxess LXSG.DE said slow growth and a high likelihood of politically triggered economic turbulence will impact 2025 results.

Over in the UK, robust demand for insurance products in Hong Kong and Singapore helped Prudential PRU.L post a solid increase in annual profit.

(Danilo Masoni)

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