European stock markets are expected to fall at the start on Thursday, in the wake of Asian markets, while investors remain attentive to the tariff issue and monitor tensions in the Middle East.

The manufacturer of stationery, razors and lighters Bic for its part announced the appointment of Rob Versloot as CEO, effective September 15. He will replace Gonzalve Bich, who had announced his intention to leave his post by the end of September at the latest

Alten and Rubis are bringing their shareholders together for a general meeting on Thursday.

Around 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract fell by 0.5%, according to data from broker IG.

European equity markets are expected to continue their downturn at the opening on Thursday, after a sluggish session on Wall Street on Wednesday, when risk aversion seems to predominate.

Around 7:40 a.m., the DAX 40 futures contract in Frankfurt lost 0.8%, while the FTSE 100 in London gave up 0.5%, according to data from broker IG.

The agreement reached in London between the United States and China to maintain their trade truce highlights two uncomfortable realities for the economy and markets: customs tariffs will not go away and uncertainty is here to stay.

At the same time, an escalation of tensions in the Middle East could weigh on markets. “The US government has ordered a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq due to increased security risks,” said Taylor Nugent, an economist at NAB Bank. Moreover, “Iran has threatened to target American military bases in the region in the event of a conflict,” Nugent added

The State Department announced that it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the American Embassy in Baghdad and authorized the departure of non-essential employees and their families from Bahrain and Kuwait and authorized the departure of non-essential employees and their families from Bahrain and Kuwait.

The New York Stock Exchange remained sluggish on Wednesday, without taking advantage of contained American inflation figures or the conclusion of a rare earth agreement with China.

The Dow Jones Index was unchanged at the close at 42,865.77 points, while the S&P 500 fell 0.3% to 6,022.24 points. The Nasdaq Composite, rich in technological stocks, lost 0.5% to 19,615.88 points

Investors have not shown a greater appetite for risk, even as the latest inflation figures have resulted in lower interest rates in the bond market.

The consumer price index (CPI) across the Atlantic rose by 2.4% year on year in May, in line with expectations. This inflation rate only marks a slight acceleration compared to 2.3% in April

On the side of the trade dispute, the American President, Donald Trump, welcomed on Wednesday the agreement in principle reached in London between Washington and Beijing, which should allow the supply of rare earths to the United States.

In Asia, the Nikkei index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 0.6% on Thursday at the end of trading. The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.1%, while the Hang Seng on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange fell by 0.8%.

Around 7:40 a.m., the 10-year US Treasury bond yield lost 1.6 basis points to 4.41%. The two-year bond yield fell 0.7 basis points to 3.95%

On Thursday, the US Treasury will sell $22 billion in 30-year bonds.

Treasury auctions are being monitored to see if demand for U.S. debt is falling significantly globally, either due to the trade war started by Donald Trump, or due to the excessive amount of bonds in the financial system, or both.