European Equity pre-Market Summary - 23rd September 2026: European bourses set to open slightly firmer; Diageo names new CFO

Earnings: JD Sports (JD/ LN), -6%: Reported in-line H1 2026/27 revenue, whilst pre-tax profit and adj. items topped estimates. Affirms FY27 guidance. Stories: Airtel Africa (AAF LN): Co.'s Airtel Money is reportedly aiming for a valuation of between USD 8-9bln ahead of its IPO, the FT reports. Diageo (DGE LN) - Co. confirms the appointment of Joanne Wilson as CFO, joining sometime in 2027. Glencore (GLEN LN): Co. signs a USD 1bln offtake agreement with Nth Cycle, with the latter to supply Glencore with lithium and other critical minerals extracted from recycled batteries. Adyen (ADYEN NA), +1.5% - Co. names Niclas Neglen as its new CFO, effective February 1st 2027. Novo Nordisk (NOVOB DC) - Co. CEO tells the FT that they are open to the idea of upgrading its US listing to a direct listing on the NYSE instead of its ADR, saying that "I clearly do see some advantages with that". Broker Moves: BP (BP/ LN): +1% upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan Valeo (FR FP): +4.5% upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, highlighting the Co.'s good position to manage further China weakness. The numbers after the Co. & ticker are the pre-market indication via Tradegate