A look at the day ahead in European and global markets

By Tom Westbrook, Deputy Financial Markets Editor

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Markets still want to believe that neither the U.S. nor Iran is aiming to escalate their conflict. But the path to resolution remains as unclear as ever after another ‌round of raised hopes came to little over the weekend.

U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of Iran's peace proposal as "totally unacceptable" underscored how far apart the parties remain from reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rose more than 4% in the Asia session and the dollar climbed.

People ride motorcycles near a billboard featuring an image of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 6, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iran on Sunday released a proposal on ending the war on all fronts that included a demand ⁠for compensation for war damages and emphasised Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. had proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

S&P 500 futures wobbled lower on the news and European futures held flat, though it was really the artificial intelligence sector driving equities.

South Korean shares surged almost 5% to new record highs led by chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, with the latter's stock price almost tripling since the start of the year.

Later on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will begin a political fightback in a speech that says ‌rebuilding relations ⁠with the rest of Europe will be his government's defining mission, as he moves to quell growing calls to quit.

Graphics are produced by Reuters

Elsewhere, data showed China's producer prices surpassed expectations in April to hit a 45-month high, piling more pressure on manufacturers already grappling with weak demand at home. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visits Japan with the ⁠yen in focus after Japanese interventions in recent weeks.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss Iran, Taiwan, AI and nuclear weapons as they weigh extending a critical minerals deal, according to U.S. officials previewing ⁠Trump's two-day visit to China this week.

U.S. company results out this week include tech networking equipment firm Cisco and semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials. Heavyweights Nvidia and Walmart are due later in ⁠the month.

U.S. home sales data is due later on Monday along with after-market results in Tokyo from SoftBank and shipper Nippon Yusen.