MW: European stocks slip as investors wait for Fed verdict
The Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, +0.03% shed 0.2% to 361.02, but the loss was limited by modest gains for consumer goods and services shares.
Among individual companies, Altice NV ATC, +3.04% shares rose 0.5%, paring a double-digit gain posted earlier in the session. The European telecommunications company said it’s planning to buy Cablevision Systems Corp. CVC, +0.00% for about $10 billion. The deal should create the fourth-largest cable operator in the U.S.
On the national indexes, Germany’s DAX 30 DAX, +0.34% edged up 0.1% at 10,234.11, and France’s CAC 40 PX1, +0.30% shed 0.1% at 4,642.42.
The highlight anticipated Fed decision will be released at 7 p.m. London time, or 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen will hold a press conference afterwards.
Read: Five things to listen for during Janet Yellen’s press conference
For markets worldwide, “this is the most highly anticipated Fed decision in years, and investors, analysts and economists everywhere are split on whether the central bank will raise interest rates,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda, in a note.
“Markets are currently pricing in a less than 25% chance of a rate hike at today’s meeting, which is quite surprising and leaves them open to quite a shock if the Fed does proceed as warned,” he said.
In Madrid, the IBEX 35 IBEX, +1.27% was higher by 0.4% at 10,024.60, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 UKX, -0.20% shed 0.2% to 6,217.27.
