European stocks edged higher Wednesday as global confidence returned, with HSBC leading earnings reports by beating full-year profit forecasts despite a 7% pretax profit drop. The FTSE 100 gained 0.5%, DAX rose 0.1%, and CAC 40 climbed 0.2% as investors processed a flood of quarterly results.

Risk appetite strengthened worldwide following Trump's State of the Union address where he confirmed tariff plans despite Supreme Court limitations. Markets in Asia hit record highs overnight, while Nvidia prepared to report earnings expected to show 62% profit growth after closing Wall Street.

German economy grew 0.3% in Q4, exceeding expectations, while oil prices remained near seven-month highs ahead of US-Iran nuclear talks. The GfK consumer sentiment index unexpectedly fell in Germany, suggesting consumer confidence may be weakening despite broader market gains.