European stock exchanges are expected to open sharply on Wednesday, after the conclusion by the United States of trade agreements with Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. Investors are also looking at a new round of corporate publications.

Railway equipment manufacturer Alstom has confirmed its prospects for its 2025-2026 financial year and for the medium term, after recording an increase in sales during the quarter ended June.

Thales raised its sales growth target in 2025 on Wednesday, after recording an increase in its results in the first half of the year, thanks to the strength of its defense activities.

Soitec reported revenue down 24% over one year and below expectations for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2025-2026. The specialist in substrates for the semiconductor industry said it expected an improvement in the second quarter, with sales up 50% compared to the first quarter.

The car manufacturer Renault announced that its global sales grew by 1.3% year-on-year in the first half of this year.

Edenred confirmed its profitability objective for 2025, after publishing results that were generally in line with expectations in the first half of the year.

Eurofins is also publishing its half-year results on Wednesday in advance of the opening.
On Wednesday after the close of trading, Carmila, Gecina and Icade will publish their results for the first half of the year, as will Seb and Ipsos. For its part, ID Logistics will present its sales for the second quarter.
Around 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract was 1.2%, according to data from broker IG.

While the Asian stock markets jumped after the announcement of the conclusion by the United States of trade agreements with three countries in the region including Japan, futures contracts on European equity markets rose sharply on Wednesday. According to data from broker IG, the DAX 40 futures contract in Frankfurt rose by 1.1%, while that on the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.5%, around 7:40

In Asia, the Nikkei index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose by 3.8% on Wednesday at the end of trading. The Shanghai Composite Index rose by 0.7%, while the Hang Seng Index on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange rose by 1.5%.

As part of the agreement announced tonight, the United States will impose a 15% customs tariff on all goods from Japan bound for the United States. Including the pre-existing 2.5% duty, U.S. tariffs on Japanese cars and auto parts will be reduced to 15% from 25% currently. The agreement also provides for Japan to invest 550 billion dollars in the United States, Donald Trump said on Truth Social

The New York Stock Exchange closed in scattered order on Tuesday, as the tech segment paused after a series of record highs.

The Dow Jones Index rose 0.4% to 44,502.44 points, and the S&P 500 set a second consecutive record, dropping 0.1% to 6,309.52 points. The Nasdaq Composite, rich in technology stocks, fell by 0.4% to 20,892.68 points, after setting a new high the day before.
Investors also had some unpleasant surprises on the quarterly results front. The car manufacturer General Motors (-8.1%) fell after seeing its net profit drop by 35% in the second quarter, penalized by the costs of customs duties for its American factories and despite a sharp increase in its sales. For its part, the defense giant Lockheed Martin (-10.8%) placed unexpected exceptional charges on certain aeronautical programs in the second quarter and reduced its forecasts for the fiscal year.
On the trade front, Donald Trump announced on his social network on Tuesday that the United States had reached an agreement with the Philippines and Indonesia. These agreements include 19% tariffs on exports from these countries and non-taxation of goods they import from the United States.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said on Tuesday that the United States could extend the trade truce with China beyond August 12 to reach an agreement on tariffs, while he is due to meet his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm, Sweden next week.

The two-year stock rate rose 0.7 basis points to 3.86%. Around 7:40 a.m., the 10-year US Treasury bond rate rose by 2.5 basis points to 4.38%.

The greenback grew by 0.4% against the Japanese currency, to 147.15 yen. Around 7:40 a.m., the euro lost 0.2% to 1.1729 dollars.

The September contract for soft light crude (WTI) listed on Nymex fell 58 cents, or 0.9%, to $65.63 per barrel. At around 7:40am, the September North Sea Brent contract listed in London gained 34 cents, or 0.5%, to $68.93