Europe open: Shares flat on Fed hike fears, AI 'apocalypse' claim

14th Sep 2026 07:54

(Sharecast News) - European shares were flat at the open on Monday with Brent crude climbing above $107 a barrel after Houthi rebels continued to threaten a key Red Sea oil channel, raising fears of a Fed rate hike this week, while tech stocks were in the red on apocalyptic warnings from artificial intelligence CEOs.

The pan-regional Stoxx 600 was hovering around the flatline as the Iran-backed Yemeni militia approach the Bab el-Mandeb, the vital alternative channel to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

Market watchers have priced in a hike of 25 basis points by the Fed on Wednesday at 86% amid concerns about the impact of an energy supply crisis on inflation.

Meanwhile Anthropic boss Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in the development of AI after his firm's researchers said the tech could wipe out humanity by 2030.

His views were echoed by other AI chiefs such as OpenAI's Sam Altman and the far-right owner of xAI Elon Musk. However, critics claimed the move was aimed at getting ahead of potential government regulation.

The comments led to a tech sell-off in Asian markets overnight which spilled over into Europe this morning. Infineon, STMicroelectronics, BE Semiconductor, ASM International and ASML were all lower.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com