European stocks set for higher open as markets anticipate first ECB rate cut since 2019

A sculpture of the Euro currency stands in the city centre of Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on January 25, 2024.

Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images

European stocks are expected to open higher on Thursday, with traders anticipating that the European Central Bank will cut borrowing costs for the euro area for the first time since September 2019.

The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 27 points higher at 8,270, Germany’s DAX 75 points higher at 18,642, France’s CAC 40 up 28 points at 8,032 and Italy’s FTSE MIB 139 points higher at 34,711, according to data from IG.