Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 20, 2026 in New York City.
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LONDON – European stock markets opened in positive territory on Tuesday as investors gauge developments ahead of the two-week deadline for a cease-fire between the United States and Iran.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was up almost 0.2% at the market open.
british FTSE100 The index rose 0.14%, with Germany’s dachshund Up 0.44%, France CAC40 Slightly below the flatline, Italy’s FTSE MIB London rose 0.4% shortly after 8:05 a.m. ET (3:05 a.m. ET)
Global markets are still assessing the prospects for peace negotiations and the possibility of escalation.
The two-week ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran was scheduled to expire at midnight GMT (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET), but US President Donald Trump told Bloomberg on Monday that the ceasefire would end “Wednesday evening Washington time.”
President Trump on Monday again threatened Iran with overwhelming military force, saying if a deal is not reached before the fragile cease-fire expires, “a bunch of bombs are going to start going off.”
This latest threat was made in a phone call with a PBS News reporter as the status of new peace talks between the United States and Iran becomes increasingly uncertain.
Related British Cuisine The company announced on Tuesday that it would separate fashion retailer Primark from its food business. The food business, known as FoodCo, will retain the ABF name and George Weston will be appointed CEO. Eoin Tonge will become Primark’s CEO.
Both companies will be listed on the London Stock Exchange.
ABF shares fell 4.8% shortly after the company announced group sales of 9.47 billion pounds ($12.8 billion) for the six months to February 28. Adjusted operating profit was £691m, down 18% from £835m in the same period last year, and sales fell 2% in what Mr Weston admitted was a “difficult” first half.
Meanwhile, the UK unemployment rate fell by 4.9% in the three months to the end of February, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics. The decline was steeper than expected, with consensus estimates suggesting the unemployment rate would stabilize at 5.2%. Meanwhile, wage growth increased by 3.6% from the previous year.
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed overnight, but US stock futures inched higher early Tuesday after the Nasdaq Composite snapped a 13-day winning streak during regular trading.
Earnings reports are provided by rio tinto, Thales, ASM International, beiersdorf, Related British Cuisine, moncler and Vivendi.
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this market report.
