European markets subdued amid tariff threat; Aston Martin shares fall 4% after profit warning

Higher fuel prices could be in the cards if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his tariff threats on Canada, according to industry experts, who are skeptical on whether the new levies will ever be implemented.

Trump on Monday pledged to implement additional tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency, according to his posts on social media platform Truth Social. He said he would sign an executive order on Jan. 20 imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, a move that may breach the terms of a regional free trade agreement.

Goldman Sachs’ Co-Head of Global Commodities Research Daan Struyven said that if a 25% levy hit Canadian crude exports to the U.S. “that could, in theory, lead to some pretty significant consequences for three groups.”

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— Lee Ying Shan

Just Eat Takeaway will delist from the London Stock Exchange next month, in a blow to the U.K.’s ambitions to attract more high-growth tech firms to its stock market. Shares of the takeaway giant were down 1% after the announcement.

After completing a review of optimal listing venues, the Anglo-Dutch food delivery firm said Wednesday that it intends to delist from London’s stock exchange, making Amsterdam Just Eat Takeaway.com’s sole trading venue.

Explaining its decision, Just Eat Takeaway said it was delisting its shares from the LSE in a bid to “reduce the administrative burden, complexity and costs associated with the disclosure and regulatory requirements of maintaining the LSE listing, and in the context of low liquidity and trading volumes.”

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— Ryan Browne

France’s CAC 40 was trading 1% lower on Wednesday, marking a one-year low for the index.

France is going through a period of heightened political uncertainty at the moment, as the minority government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier hangs by a thread.

Earlier this week, the far-right National Rally party threatened to bring down Barnier’s administration by the end of the year if changes were not made to the unpopular 2025 budget that has been proposed.

National Rally’s figurehead Marine Le Pen on Monday suggested that talks with Barnier, which are aimed at extracting concessions on the tax-hiking budget bill, had failed to produce changes that would allow her party to approve the government’s plans.

She suggested her party will join forces with the leftwing bloc to table a no-confidence motion in December, a move that would throw France’s political establishment and economy into further disarray.

Read more on the story here: France’s far right propped up the weak government. It could now bring it crashing down

— Holly Ellyatt

Budget airline easyJet posted a smaller-than-expected annual operating profit, citing an impact from the conflict in the Middle East.

The airline reported an operating profit of £597 million ($750.5 million) for the 12 months to Sept. 30, up 25% year-over-year. Still, the figure was less than the £625.6 million expected by analysts, according to an LSEG-compiled poll cited by Reuters.

In a statement, easyjet said earnings were impacted by the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, “which resulted in the cancellation of a number of flying routes and the associated costs incurred and revenue forgone,” as well as volatile and rising fuel prices.

For the current fiscal year ending September 2025, the airline expects a capacity of around 103 million seats, an increase of 3% from the previous year.

“The airline will continue to grow, particularly on popular longer leisure routes like North Africa and the Canaries and we plan to take 25% more customers away on package holidays,” CEO designate Kenton Jarvis, who is replacing Johan Lundgren next year, said in a statement.

“The outlook for easyJet is positive and travel remains a firm priority with consumers who value our low fares, unrivalled network and friendly service,” commented Kenton Jarvis, easyjet’s chief financial officer who’s set to replace CEO Johan Lundgren next year.

“The airline will continue to grow, particularly on popular longer leisure routes like North Africa and the Canaries and we plan to take 25% more customers away on package holidays.”

— Holly Ellyatt

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin on Tuesday forecast its annual core profit to fall short of 2023 levels as delivery delays in the ultra-exclusive Valiant models weigh on its margins.

The company expects its 2024 adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of 270 million pounds to 280 million pounds ($338.55 million – $351.09 million) compared to 305.9 million pounds last year.

The carmaker said it now expects to deliver only half of the 38 Valiant models by year end, previously guided to be the majority.

“We are already taking decisive actions to better position the Group for the future including a more balanced production and delivery profile in the coming quarters,” CEO Adrian Hallmark said in a statement.

Aston Martin, which has been hit by persistent depressed demand in China and supply disruptions leading to manufacturing delays, had cut its production forecast by about 1,000 vehicles in September.

The Gaydon, UK-based company reported a smaller-than-expected third-quarter loss last month, aided by strategic steps taken to mitigate losses.

The company reiterated its focus on 2025 targets, including delivering about 2 billion pounds in revenue and targeted free cash flow generation. As part of the efforts to bolster its finances, Aston Martin also announced plans to raise about 210 million pounds through an equity and debt offering.

— Reuters

A London-based hedge fund is betting against Cargojet, Canada’s largest cargo airline, citing concerns about the company’s aging fleet, accounting practices, and leadership style. The company did not respond to requests for comment from CNBC Pro.

Edgar Allen, founder and chief investment officer of High Ground Investment Management, revealed his firm’s bearish stance on Cargojet during the Sohn investment conference earlier this month.

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— Ganesh Rao

News that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to hike tariffs on imports from China, Canada and Mexico sent ripples across global markets Tuesday.

Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at the U.S.-headquartered Bleakley Financial Group, revealed his take on the tariffs, as well as sectors — and stocks — he is watching globally.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Amala Balakrishner

European markets are expected to open in mixed territory Wednesday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 5 points higher at 8,267, Germany’s DAX down 21 points at 19,285, France’s CAC down 39 points at 7,160 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 173 points at 33,150, according to data from IG.

Earnings are set to come from Easyjet and data releases include German and French consumer confidence figures.

— Holly Ellyatt