London (CNN Business) 1. European banks: The chief executives of Barclays and Deutsche Bank struck optimistic notes in earnings reports released Wednesday.

But the results produced mixed reactions from investors.

Christian Sewing, who has sought to overhaul Deutsche Bank since being appointed CEO in April, said the lender is "well on track to achieve our first profitable year since 2014."

Germany's biggest bank has slashed jobs and costs, but revenue growth has not yet materialized. Shares in Deutsche Bank ( DB ) dropped 4.2% on Wednesday, bringing losses for 2018 to nearly 43%.

It was a different story at Barclays, where CEO Jes Staley touted a strong performance by the lender's corporate and investment bank.