Renault shares rise 5% after reports of Nissan-Honda merger talks; European stocks mixed

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets.

European stocks were higher on Wednesday, as investors reacted to U.K. inflation data and awaited the latest monetary policy decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.17% by 10:34 a.m. London time, with sectors trading in mixed territory.

U.K. inflation rose to 2.6% in November, new figures showed on Wednesday, coming in line with expectations. The Bank of England is widely expected to hold rates steady at its final monetary policy meeting of the year on Thursday.

Investors are also awaiting a monetary policy update from across the Atlantic, with the Fed set to update its monetary policy on Wednesday. Traders are pricing in a 95% chance of a quarter-point cut from the central bank, according to CME Group's Fed Watch tool.

Investors will be paying close attention to Fed policymakers' Summary of Economic Projections and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference, seeking clues about what might happen in the months ahead.

Back in Europe, shares of French carmaker Renault jumped more than 6% by 10:34 a.m. London time. The company, which owns a minority stake in Nissan, traded higher after reports that Nissan and Honda were entering into merger talks. Nissan's Tokyo-listed shares gained more than 20% during Asia's trading session Wednesday, marking the automaker's best day in at least 40 years.

— CNBC's Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this market summary

Don’t expect a Bank of England rate cut until February: Morgan Stanley

Investors shouldn't expect interest rates in Britain to go down until 2025, Bruna Skarica, chief U.K. economist at Morgan Stanley, said in a note to clients on Wednesday.

The Bank of England previously hinted that four rate cuts could be on the cards in 2025 — but weak economic data over the past week has dampened hopes that a such a trim is imminent.

Markets are overwhelmingly expecting the Bank of England to hold rates steady at its upcoming Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Thursday, overnight index swap data shows. The data also indicate that traders are divided on whether the central bank will keep its key interest rate at 4.75% or reduce it when the MPC convenes again in February. A small majority is leaning toward a hold.

Skarica said in the Wednesday note that she is positioned away from that consensus, stressing, "We expect the next cut in February."

— Chloe Taylor

Sweden’s SBB up 23%

Shares of Swedish property group SBB surged during Wednesday's trading session, gaining 23% by 9:50 a.m. London time.

The stock rally came after SBB announced it had completed a bond exchange that saw creditors agree to swap 2.8 billion euros' ($2.94 billion) worth of debt for new notes.

SBB CEO Leiv Synnes told news agency Reuters on Wednesday that the exchange — which was accepted by 95% of relevant creditors — would allow the firm to press ahead with its restructuring plans.

— Chloe Taylor

France has not respected fiscal rules for decades, economist says

Financial markets have allowed countries like France to get away with disrespecting the euro zone's fiscal rules for too long, economist Raphael Gallardo told CNBC Wednesday.

France is among a number of euro zone member states that have failed to meet the single currency union's fiscal rules that require member states to keep budget deficits below 3% of GDP (gross domestic product) and to restrict public debts below 60%.

The French government expects the budget deficit to hit 6.1% of GDP this year, however, while the International Monetary Fund predicts the country's debt to GDP ratio will reach around 112%. Arguments between lawmakers over taxation and spending plans means France currently has no 2025 budget in place and has instead rolled over this year's fiscal plan, as political turbulence continues.

Gallardo, chief economist at Carmignac, said France had not respected the rules for years.

"Unfortunately, the problem in the euro area is that you cannot have a currency union with it without fiscal discipline and a mechanism to enforce that fiscal discipline, and in the case of France, for 25 years, we have never respected the rules," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" Wednesday.

"The safeguards in the European constitution have been completely unable to enforce it on the French government and the markets haven't done their job either, because they have considered that France — being a core country — will be bailed out," he said.

— Holly Ellyatt

Unicredit shares rise

Shares of Italian lender Unicredit gained 0.5% by 8:45 a.m. London time, after the bank said it had raised its potential stake in Commerzbank to 28%.

Unicredit had previously held a 21% stake in the German lender.

Read the full story here.

— Chloe Taylor

Renault shares jump 5%

Shares of French carmaker Renault rose 5.39% by 8:21 a.m. London time, following reports that Nissan and Honda are set to enter into merger talks.

Renault owns a minority stake in Nissan, whose Tokyo-listed shares gained 24% during the trading session in Asia — their best day in four decades.

— Chloe Taylor

UK inflation rises to 2.6%

Inflation in the U.K. rose to 2.6% in the year to November, meeting expectations but further dampening hopes of a rate cut from the Bank of England on Thursday.

The U.K.'s annual inflation rate stood at 2.3% in October.

Yields on the U.K.'s 10-year Gilt were little changed by 7:05 a.m. at 4.519%, while the British pound was down 0.07% against the U.S. dollar to trade at around $1.2700.

Markets are now overwhelmingly expecting the Bank of England to hold its key interest rate at 4.75% when its Monetary Policy Committee meets for the final time this year, according to overnight index swap data.

Read the full story here.

— Chloe Taylor

Sterling dips ahead of UK inflation data

The British pound traded lower against the dollar and the euro on Wednesday morning, as investors awaited the U.K.'s latest inflation print and a policy update from the Bank of England.

Sterling was around 0.1% lower against the euro, and 0.06% weaker against the greenback by 6:35 a.m. London time.

November inflation data, which will be published Wednesday morning, comes after official figures showed wage growth in Britain jumped 5.2% in the three months to October, while the nation's economy unexpectedly contracted that month.

On Thursday, the Bank of England will make its final monetary policy decision of the year.

— Chloe Taylor

CNBC Pro: These 6 stocks rose as Nvidia fell into correction territory

Six stocks in the S&P 500 have been inversely correlated to Nvidia's share price moves over the past month, according to analysis by CNBC Pro.

Five of the six stocks have also risen by an average of 6.75% alongside Nvidia's fall from all-time highs.

It comes as Nvidia fell into correction territory this week, meaning it's fallen over 10% from its closing high of $148.88 reached last month.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Ganesh Rao

European markets: Here are the opening calls

European markets are expected to open lower Wednesday.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 8 points lower at 8,191, Germany's DAX down 48 points at 20,202, France's CAC down 10 points at 7,353 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 100 points at 34,258, according to data from IG.

Data releases will include U.K. inflation data.

— Holly Ellyatt