Swiss central bank holds interest rate at 0% as inflation cools; European markets dip

Group 1: Market Overview - European stocks opened slightly lower, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 down around 0.1% as investors reacted to the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest rate cut and the Swiss central bank's decision to hold rates at 0% due to lower-than-expected inflation [1][2] - The U.S. Federal Reserve cut the Federal Funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.5%-3.75%, indicating a cautious approach to future rate reductions [2][3] Group 2: Economic Insights - The Swiss National Bank noted stronger-than-expected global economic growth in Q3, despite challenges from U.S. tariffs and trade policy uncertainty [2] - European inflation is considered neutral, with expectations that the European Central Bank will not cut rates in the near future [4] Group 3: Sector Performance - The Stoxx 600 Aerospace and Defense index has gained 52% year-to-date, reflecting strong performance in the defense sector [5] - Shares in German defense firm Rheinmetall rose by 1.3% following reports of a new bid for competitor KNDS NV [6]