BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Despite spending much of the day's trading session well above the flat line, the major European markets ended on a mixed note on Tuesday with stocks paring gains as the mood turned cautious amid uncertainty about a U.S.-Iran peace deal.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to postpone a planned strike on Iran helped lift sentiment early on in the day, doubts over a potential deal rendered the mood cautious towards the end of the session.
Hopes about a potential U.S.-Iran deal rose after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause in strike against Iran.
Trump, who said there was a 'very good chance' the United States could reach an agreement with Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, however added that a major offensive will take place if no acceptable agreement is reached soon.
The pan European Stoxx 600 gained 0.19%. The UK's FTSE 100 settled 0.07% up, and Germany's DAX climbed 0.38%, while France's CAC 40 ended down by 0.07%. Switzerland's SMI jumped 0.94%.
Among other markets in Europe, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia and Sweden ended higher.
Austria, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Spain and Türkiye closed weak.
In the UK market, IG Group Holdings soared 10.5% following the company raising its full-year 2026 organic revenue growth outlook to 10-15% on a 2025 base of approximately £1.10 billion.
Diploma gained 3.2%. The Specialist distribution group reported solid half-year earnings and raised its guidance.
Airtel Africa climbed 6.8%, 3i Group moved up nearly 6%, while Burberry Group, Smith & Nephew, The Sage Group, JD Sports Fashion, DCC, Severn Trent and RightMove gained 2.3%-3.3%.
Dr. Martens gained 3.3%. The shoemaker posted a better-than-expected 61% jump in full-year adjusted pre-tax profit.
Miners Fresnillo, Antofagasta, Anglo American Plc and Endeavour Mining lost 3%-4.2%. Rio Tinto shed 2.8%, while Glencore ended nearly 2% down.
Compass Group, ICG, Polar Capital Technology Trust, Metlen Energy & Metals, Standard Chartered, Halma, Lion Finance and St. James's Place also declined sharply.
In the German market, SAP surged 6%. Qiagen, Rheinmetall, Hannover RE, Merck, Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, E.ON, Fresenius, Henkel, Symrise and Gea Group also closed with strong gains.
Continental, Infineon, Daimler Truck Holding, Brenntag, Heidelberg Materials, Siemens, Siemens Energy and BASF lost 1%-4%.
In the French market, Capgemini climbed nearly 4.5%. Thales, Dassault Systemes, Publicis Groupe, Eurofins Scientific and Orange gained 2%-3%.
Sanofi moved up sharply after saying that a trial showed its rare disease therapy performed better in raising key lung protein in patients with a genetic form of lung disease.
Hermes International, Danone, Edenred, Pernod Ricard and LVMH also closed with impressive gains.
ArcelorMittal, Saint Gobain and Legrand lost 2.2%-2.6%. Schneider Electric, Renault, STMicroelectronics, Vinci, Michelin and Carrefor ended lower by 1%-2%.
In economic news, the UK unemployment rate increased slightly in the three months to March, the Office for National Statistics said.
The jobless rate stood at 5% in the January to March period, up from 4.9% in the previous three-month period. The rate was expected to remain stable at 4.9%. In the corresponding period last year, the rate was 4.5%.
Data showed that the annual growth in employees' average earnings, excluding bonuses, in Great Britain was 3.4% in the January to March period, easing from 3.6% in the December to February period. Including bonuses, the wage growth accelerated to 4.1% from 3.9%.
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