European stocks muted as uncertainty surrounds Mideast peace talks in Stock News 21/04/2026 European stocks were mostly subdued on Tuesday, with investors taking some caution ahead of the potential expiration of a ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. By 03:13 ET (07:13 GMT), the pan-European Stoxx 600 had inched up by 0.1%, the Dax in Germany had gained 0.5%, the FTSE 100 in the U.K. had risen 0.1%, and the CAC 40 in France was mostly unchanged. The two-week pause in fighting is due to end at an unspecified time later this week, although it remains uncertain whether both sides will agree to extend the halt. A fragile truce appeared to be further imperiled after the U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, which led to a threat of retaliation from Tehran. At the same time, contradicting signals have cast doubts over the state of possible fresh peace talks. The White House has offered mixed messaging on who would lead the American delegation to the negotiations, while media reports suggested that Iran may send officials to the meeting in Pakistan even after Tehran said it would skip the second round of discussions. Oil prices dipped, reversing earlier gains, on hopes that talks would eventually take place this week and help reopen crucial Middle East supply flows through the Strait of Hormuz. However, crude is still hovering well above pre-war levels, while the head of the International Energy Agency has warned that the conflict is creating the worst energy crisis in history. As the trajectory of the war stayed murky, traders were also pulling their attentions away from the Middle East and toward Washington, where Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s pick to become the next Federal Reserve Chair, is due to speak at Congressional confirmation hearings. Warsh’s comments could provide some insight into how he views the independence of the Fed, a topic that has grown in importance following high-profile spats between Trump and current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. In his prepared remarks cited by Reuters, Warsh is set to stress that he is “committed ​to ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains strictly independent.” ASML inches higher after AI stocks rally in Asia Shares of ASML rose after optimism around advances in artificial intelligence buoyed several technology shares in Asia. The Dutch group manufactures the lithography equipment used in constructing high-end AI chips, making it a major beneficiary of a wave of demand for these semiconductors. ASML is now Europe’s most valuable company, with a market capitalization of roughly 485.80 billion euros. SK Hynix in South Korea was approaching that value following a jump in Asian trading, reflecting a recent spike in demand for the memory chips vital in powering AI processors. Partially underpinning the fresh enthusiasm around AI was an announcement on Monday from e-commerce giant Amazon that it plans to invest up to $25 billion in Anthropic, the AI startup and Claude creator. Amazon shares advanced in German trading. Elsewhere, Frankfurt-listed shares of Apple were slightly lower after the iPhone maker said that company veteran John Ternus will replace Tim Cook as CEO. Cook will then assume a new role as Executive Chairman from September 1. In individual stocks, shares of Associated British Foods fell after the firm said it would spin off its popular Primark fashion business from its food division. Royal Unibrew also slumped sharply after the Danish beverage maker announced tha