BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European markets ended mostly lower for a second successive session as investors, reacting to the latest batch of earnings news, largely refrained from making significant purchases on Thursday. Reports about Deutsche Bank-Commerzbank merger talks failure weighed as well.
The pan European Stoxx 600 ended down 0.21%. Among the major markets, the U.K., Germany and France ended modestly lower, with their benchmarks FTSE 100, DAX and CAC 40 declining by 0.5%, 0.25% and 0.33%, respectively. Switzerland's SMI ended 0.4% up, extending gains for a third straight session.
Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Russia and Turkey all ended on a negative note.
Spain and Sweden closed modestly higher, while Finland, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Ukraine ended flat.
Germany's Commerzbank declined 2.3% after rival Deutsche Bank announced the banks decided to discontinue talks for a potential combination. Deutsche Bank, which issued its first-quarter outlook, ended lower by about 1.5%.
Wirecard declined 3.7%. Continental, Covestro, Fresenius, Volkswagen, Daimler and HeidelbergCement shed 1 to 1.6%.
Thyssenkrupp and Bayer ended higher by 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively. SAP, which ended with a hefty gain on Wednesday, added 0.4% in today's session.
In France, Peugeot declined more than 3%. ArcelorMittal, STMicroElectronics, Renault, Vinci and Publicis Groupe shares lost 1.2 to 1.8%, while Carrefour, Atos, Air Liquide ended stronger by 3.5%, 1.2% and 1%, respectively.
In the U.K. market, Taylor Wimpey shed more than 5% after a report showed house sales in London saw a sharp 20% plunge since 2015 and house prices fell to a 7-year low.
Legal & General and J Sainsbury lost 4.9% and 4.6%, respectively.
Barclays declined on weak first quarter results. Glencore, Micro Focus, Provident Financial, Antofagasta, RBS and Persimmon also declined sharply.
Reckitt Benckiser, Rolls-Royce Holdings, United Utilities, Carnival and Kingfisher ended higher by 1 to 1.3%.
Shares Finnish telecom network equipment maker Nokia plunged nearly 10% after the company reported a surprise first-quarter loss, citing hard competition in its core networks business.
In economic news from Europe, Spain's producer price inflation rose 2.4% year-on-year in March, following a 1.7% increase in the past three months, data from the statistical office INE showed.
Another report from INE showed Spain's unemployment rate rose to 14.7% in the first quarter from 14.45% in the fourth quarter.
The central banks of Sweden and Turkey held their respective key interest rates unchanged.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2019 AFX News
