CNBC Daily Open: Banking beats, SK Hynix sinks and surprise attack rattles oil

Hello, this is Leonie Kidd coming to you from London.

There are competing market forces for investors to assess today.

A bumper set of earnings from the banks could provide some upside in Europe, with profits from some of the biggest names in the region providing a positive surprise.

But blowout numbers from SK Hynix did little to settle the nerves around tech, with the stock leading declines across the AI-related names in Asia for a second straight day.

And oil will keep everyone on edge, after a resurgence in attacks between the U.S. and Iran after just two days of calm.

Swiss banking giant UBS has reported a pretax profit of $3.6 billion in the second quarter, flagging strong client momentum across its businesses. The lender reported $36 billion in net new assets at its global wealth management unit, while its investment banking business reported a 31% year-on-year increase in revenue. The bank also announced a share buyback programme worth $3 billion, which it intends to complete in the first half of 2027.

CEO Sergio Ermotti told CNBC's Carolin Roth that momentum in M&A and capital markets is very good.

Deutsche Bank has defied forecasts, reporting second-quarter profit after tax of 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion), a 10% gain and a record for that period. The CEO of Germany's largest lender pointed to strong growth momentum and cost discipline.

Deutsche Bank Chief Financial Officer Raja Akram told CNBC's Annette Weisbach that performance during the quarter had been driven higher by almost all its business segments.

Standard Chartered half-year pretax profit rose a better-than-expected 9% to $4.8 billion, with the company pointing to strength in its global banking and wealth solutions units. That helped offset ongoing credit charges linked to the Middle East conflict. The bank also announced a new share buyback of $1 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Manus Costello told CNBC's "Europe Early Edition" that asset quality in the Middle East region remains robust. For more of that interview, watch here.

Crude prices have risen sharply after Iran launched an unexpected attack on U.S. forces in the region.

"Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East," according to a post on X by the U.S. Central Command.

Tensions have escalated after a two-day pause in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

Why America’s super rich have embraced the appeal of British soccer teams

As the dust settles after the FIFA World Cup, soccer fans' attention turns to the start of Europe's domestic league seasons. The English Premier League — by some distance the most popular soccer league in the world — kicks off once again on August 21 with champions Arsenal launching their title defense.

Growing American interest in the league is evident not just in broadcast viewing figures and social media hype — but increasingly in boardrooms, too. English soccer clubs, or football clubs, per the sport's more common global name, have become hot commodities for ultra-rich and institutional ownership over the years. What began with the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United in 2005 has proliferated to American control of 11 of the 20 current Premier League sides.

— Joseph Wilkins