European stock markets were higher Thursday as investors assess a host of key earnings and economic data, and await the European Central Bank’s latest monetary policy decision.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was 0.59% higher at 11:40 a.m. in London as sentiment continued to recover following the global technology sell-off on Monday. Real estate led sector gains, up 1.34%.
The ECB is expected to kick off its first meeting of 2025 with a 25-basis-point interest rate cut Thursday. The move would bring its key overnight deposit facility rate to 2.75%, marking its fifth cut since the bank began easing monetary policy last June.
Market watchers expect further easing this year despite euro zone inflation ticking upwards over the past few months; activity in the single currency area’s manufacturing and services sectors remains broadly subdued and consumer confidence is below its long-term average, European Commission data shows.
Against this backdrop, investors are assessing the latest economic data from France and Germany, which both contracted in the fourth quarter, while the euro zone stagnated.
German lender Deutsche Bank kicked off a flurry of earnings, reporting a sharper-than-expected fall in fourth-quarter profit, driving its shares down 4% in morning deals. Oil giant Shell meanwhile saw shares gain 1.6% after posting a significant drop in annual profit following a year of lower crude prices. The company announced a 4% increase in dividend per share and launched another share buyback program of $3.5 billion.
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Swedish fashion giant H&M recorded a slightly estimate beat on operating profit, but its sales missed forecasts for the final three months of the year. Shares were last 5% lower.
Nokia, ABB, Roche, BT Group, Sage Group, Wizz Air, Electrolux, BBVA, Caixabank, Nordea and Sanofi also reported Thursday.
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