European Stocks Close Higher As Investors React To Political News, Economic Data

(RTTNews) - European stocks closed on a positive note on Thursday with investors closely following the developments in France, and digesting the latest batch of regional economic data.

French President Emmanuel Macron seeks a way out of France's political crisis as Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted in a no-confidence vote over a budget dispute. That makes Barnier the shortest serving prime minister in modern French history.

It is likely that France will remain without a government for several weeks, if not months, until Macron appoints a new prime minister, who will have to form a new government.

The State budget and the social security budget for 2025 will not be voted on, but the constitution allows special measures that would avert a U.S.-style government shutdown.

The pan European Stoxx 600 gained 0.4%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 0.16%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.63% and France's CAC 40 closed up 0.37%. Switzerland's SMI edged up 0.06%.

Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkiye closed higher.

Belgium and Denmark ended weak, and Norway closed flat.

In the UK market, Hiscox rallied more than 5%. Whitbread, Diageo, Admiral Group, IAG, Vodafone Group, Intertek Group, BT Group and Barclays gained 2 to 4%.

Aviva, Easyjet, Centrica, IHG, Sainsbury (J), Natwest Group, Beazley, Imperial Brands, British American Tobacco and Legal & General advanced 1.3 to 2%.

AstraZeneca gained about 1.3% as Imfinzi receives FDA approval for limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Future Plc soared nearly 10% after reporting its full-year results for 2024.

Frasers Group tanked nearly 11% as the sportswear and fashion retailer lowered the upper end of its full-year profit forecasts.

British Land tumbled 5%. Segro ended nearly 3% down. Smith (DS) lost about 2.5% after reporting declines in half-year revenue and profits.

Londonmetric Property, Associated British Foods, Scottish Mortgage, Convatec Group, Melrose Industries, Shell, Croda International and ICG lost 1.3 to 2.5%.

In the German market, Puma climbed nearly 5%. Commerzbank, Siemens Energy, Continental, BMW, Deutsche Post, HeidelbergCement and Fresenius Medical Care gained 2 to 3%.

Zalando, Deutsche Post, Rheinmetall, Allianz, Deutsche Boerse, Hannover Rueck, Bayer, Adidas and Daimler Truck Holding also closed with strong gains.

Sartorius, Vonovia, Merck, Qiagen, RWE, MTU Aero Engines and Beiersdorf closed with sharp to moderate losses.

In the French market, bank stocks gained on hopes that the government can avoid a shutdown.

Accor surged 5%. Societe Generale, Stellantis, Pernod Ricard, Edenred, Renault, Credit Agricole, AXA, Veolia, Orange, BNP Paribas, Bouygues, Vinci, Michelin, Saint Gobain, ArcelorMittal, Vivendi and Engie gained 1.5 to 4.2%.

Safran tumbled more than 6.5% after issuing new financial targets.

On the economic front, manufacturing new orders in Germany declined at a slower than expected pace in October amid a slump in domestic demand, while the gain for September was revised up significantly due to a big order in the shipbuilding industry, preliminary data from the statistical office Destatis showed.

Orders shrunk a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 1.5% from the previous month, which was less severe a fall than the 2% slump economists had forecast. The September gain in new orders was revised up to 7.2% from the originally reported 4.2%.

France's industrial production fell 0.1% on month in October, following a 0.8% decline in September. Economists had forecast a monthly rebound of 0.3%.

The UK construction sector's growth picked up pace in November, driven by a strong upturn in commercial work. The construction Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 55.2 in November from 54.3 in October. The index signaled growth for the ninth consecutive month.

Eurozone retail sales declined for the first time in four months in October, and at a faster-than-expected pace. Retail sales logged a decrease of 0.5% on a monthly basis in October, reversing a 0.5% rise in September. The expected fall was 0.4%. Year-on-year, retail sales growth eased to 1.9% from 3% in September.

Germany's construction sector logged further steeper contraction in November. The HCOB construction Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 38.0 from 40.2 in October.Among categories, housing activity was the worst-performing sector, and the commercial work fell at the fastest pace since January. Meanwhile, civil engineering declined at a slightly slower pace.

Switzerland's unemployment rate increased slightly in November after remaining stable in the previous month. The unadjusted unemployment rate came in at 2.6% in November, up from 2.5% in October. In the corresponding month last year, the jobless rate was 2.1%.