Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 6, 2026 in New York City.
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LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in mixed territory on Monday as investors digest the latest impasse in peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 0.15% higher, with Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 flat, and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 0.13%, according to data from IG.
Global markets will start the new trading week on a fragile note after U.S. President Donald Trump declared Iran’s counterproposal to end the war in the Middle East as “unacceptable”.
Negotiators have received Iran’s response to U.S. proposals for peace talks, with the Tehran regime demanding an end to the war on all fronts and the lifting of sanctions on the country, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said, citing an informed source.
But Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday night that he did not like Iran’s response, adding that it was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the war with Iran was “not over,” as the U.S. and Israel still aim to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Oil futures climbed and U.S. futures were lower in overnight trading following the latest developments.
Trump’s trip to China later this week is also in focus, with the president set for talks with Chinese premier Xi Jinping on a wide range of matters, from trade to rare earth export controls, as well as global geopolitics.
There are no major earnings or data releases in Europe on Monday.
— CNBC’s Anniek Bao contributed to this market report.
