"Stocks Surge as Unicredit's Earnings Propel Shares to 8-Year High: Live Market Updates"

Shares of Italian bank Unicredit surged 9.8% to their highest level since 2015 after announcing plans to return 8.6 billion euros to investors following better-than-expected profits. European markets dipped slightly as investors reacted to U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's comments, while Asian markets opened lower. Uncertainty over interest rate cuts and ongoing political tensions have raised questions about sector and stock performance. Wealth managers highlight top stock picks, and Citi updates its "high-conviction" stock list.