BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks climbed higher on Tuesday, lifted by some strong earnings updates, and lower oil prices amid hopes about resumption of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations aided sentiment.
Oil prices extended declines to touch a one-week low amid easing West Asia tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Washington has engaged in 'good talks' with Tehran.
Automakers were broadly higher following reports that France and Germany are pursuing a new initiative to revive the auto industry.
The pan European Stoxx 600 climbed 0.4%. The UK's FTSE 100 jumped 0.88%, Germany's DAX gained 0.51% and France's CAC 40 moved up 0.63%. Switzerland's SMI ended 1.04% up.
Among other markets in Europe, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden ended higher.
Austria, Czech Republic, Iceland, Poland, Russia and Türkiye closed weak, while Finland and Spain ended flat.
In the UK market, Unilever moved up over 8%. The consumer goods company upgraded its full-year underlying sales growth guidance to the 4% to 6% range from its previous expectation of growth at the bottom end of the range, supported by around 3% underlying volume growth.
The company reported its best quarter of sales volume growth in 16 years and raised its annual sales outlook. Operating profit increased 2.6% to €4.885 billion in the first-half, from €4.762 billion in the corresponding period last year.
Croda International climbed by a little over 8%. The specialty chemicals company said its profit after tax grew to £79.6 million or £56.3 per share in the first-half, from £62.9 million or £43.8 per share of prior year. Further, the company said its outlook remains unchanged for fiscal 2026 despite geopolitical and macro-economic uncertainty.
Experian, Compass Group, Relx, The Sage Group, Diageo, Burberry Group and Admiral Group gained 5%-6.3%.
Pearson, 3i Group, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, AutoTrader Group, GSK, Coca-Cola HBC, Smith & Nephew, Babcock International, Reckitt Benckiser and Imperial Brands gained 3%-4%.
Haleon, BT Group, Vodafone Group, Kingfisher, JD Sports Fashion, Whitbread, Howden Joinery Group, LSEG, British American Tobacco and Associated British Foods were among the other prominent gainers.
Barclays Group shed about 4.8% after reporting increased operating costs in the second quarter. Natwest Group and Lloyds Banking Group both eased by about 1.3%.
Natwest Group and Standard Chartered ended lower by 2.3% and 1.8%, respectively. Lloyds Banking Group settled 1.4% down.
Polar Capital Technology Trust, Centrica, Lion Finance, Diploma, Glencore, Weir Group, BP, Hiscox, Shell and Prudential also ended notably lower.
In the German market, Mercedes-Benz gained 2.5%. The Group reported a net profit of 1.065 billion euros for the second-quarter, compared to 915 million euros, prior year. Earnings per share was 1.14 euros compared to 0.95 euros.
Porsche Automobil Holding, Volkswagen, Daimler Truck Holding and BMW gained 2.5%-5%.
SAP climbed 5.3%. Zalando, Symrise, Brenntag, MTU Aero Engines, Rheinmetall, Henkel, Hochtief, Deutsche Telekom, Beiersdorf, Scout24, Merck, BASF, Vonovia, Munich RE, Siemens Healthineers and Deutsche Post gained 1%-4.5%.
Siemens Energy tumbled 7%. Infineon lost about 6%. RWE dropped nearly 3%. Fresenius Medical Care drifted lower by about 1.4%.
In the French market, Capgemini rallied 7%. Teleperformance, Edenred, Pernod Ricard, Publicis Groupe and Kering gained 3%-5%.
Shares of telecommunications operator Orange rallied 4.5% after the company raised its annual profit outlook.
Safran gained nearly 3% after reporting strong first-half profit and lifting its FY26 guidance.
Dassault Systemes, Renault, Accor, Saint-Gobain, Thales, Eurofins Scientific, Hermes International, Danone, Stellantis, L'Oreal, EssilorLuxottica, Airbus, Sanofi and Bureau Veritas also moved up sharply.
STMicroelectronics closed 5.5% down. Engie, Legrand, Societe Generale and Schneider Electric also ended notably lower.
Shares of tyre maker Michelin drifted down 1.3% after reporting flat first-quarter earnings. LVMH eased by nearly 2% after first-half revenue dipped 3% on a reported basis.
Air Liquide ended 2% down. The industrial gases group confirmed its margin outlook after reporting modest revenue growth in the first half of 2026.
In economic news, French consumer confidence improved for the second straight month in July, monthly survey results published by the statistical office INSEE showed.
The consumer sentiment index advanced more-than-expected to 86 in July from 84 in the previous month. The reading was seen at 85.
The survey showed that judgment about future standard of living in France strengthened sharply. The balance rose six points, following a six-point rise in June.
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