BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks closed on a positive note on Thursday thanks to fairly encouraging regional PMI data and firm precious metals prices. Bond yields and oil prices stabilised even as worries about Middle East tensions continued to weigh on sentiment.
The pan European Stoxx 600 climbed 0.49%. The UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.7% and Germany's DAX moved up 0.63%, while France's CAC 40 edged up 0.07% and Switzerland's SMI closed with a gain of 0.22%.
Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain and Sweden ended higher.
Türkiye closed weak, while Finland, Norway and Portugal ended flat.
In the UK market, Metlen Energy & Metal, Informa, LSEG, Endeavour Mining, Prudential, Relx, Fresnillo, 3i Group, Vodafone Group, Scottish Mortgage, M&G, Experian, Melrose Industries, Antofagasta, AutoTrader Group, Aberdeen Group, Airtel Africa, Barclays and Burberry Group gained 2%-4%.
Shares of food packing company Hilton Food soared more than 15% after the group lifted its full-year adjusted profit guidance.
Reckitt Benckiser, Convatec Group, Admiral Group, Haleon, Diageo, Bunzl, Pearson, Unilever, Aviva and Smith & Nephew closed notably lower.
In the German market, Volkswagen, Hochtief, Porsche Automobil Holding, Vonovia, Commerzbank, Siemens Energy, SAP and Scout24 climbed 2%-3.7%.
Deutsche Boerse, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Continental, Hannover RE, Daimler Truck Holding and Munich RE also ended notably higher.
Rheinmetall, Fresenius Medical Care, Qiagen, Siemens Healthineers, Merck, Siemens, Zalando, Fresenius and Brenntag declined sharply.
The French market underperformed as the nation's services sector activity showed continued contraction.
EssilorLuxottica, Hermes International, LVMH, Kering, L'Oreal, Accor, Sanofi, Pernod Ricard and Donone closed notably lower.
Capgemini, Publicis Groupe, Stellantis, Renault, Societe Generale, ArcelorMittal, AXA, Teleperformance, Dassault Systemes, Legrand, Credit Agricole, Vinci, Michelin, BNP Paribas and Eurofins Scientific gained 1%-4.7%.
In economic news, the euro area private sector posted robust growth in August as the industrial economy gained momentum and services activity expanded for a second consecutive month, final survey data from S&P Global showed. However, France bucked the broad trend of growth, registering an eighth successive contraction in business activity.
The final composite output index posted 52.0 in August, unchanged from July's eight-month high and slightly down from the flash score of 52.1.The services Purchasing Managers' Index dropped to a two-month low of 51.6 from 51.7 in July. The flash score was also 51.7.
The S&P Global Germany Composite PMI was revised up to 51.8 in August 2026, from the preliminary estimate of 51.0 and compared with 51.3 in July. The manufacturing PMI rose to a 2022 high of 54.2, up from 52.2 in the previous month. The services sector remained in slight contraction, with its PMI edging down to 49.7 from 49.8.
The HCOB France Composite PMI for August 2026 was revised down to 48.5 from a flash estimate of 48.8, and below July's 49.4. The data confirmed an eighth consecutive month of contraction, with the pace of decline quickening from July.
The S&P Global France Services PMI fell to 48.0 in August 2026, revising lower than the preliminary estimate of 48.4 and marking a sharper contraction than 49.6 in the previous month.
Eurozone producer price inflation accelerated in July, largely reflecting the surge in energy prices, Eurostat reported Thursday. Producer prices increased 5.8 percent in July after climbing 4.6 percent in June and 5.9 percent in May.
The S&P Global UK Composite PMI rose to 52.5 in August from 52.2 in the previous month, the same as the flash estimate and above the initial market expectations of 51.6. The services sector PMI advanced to 52.5 in August from 52.1 in July, while the manufacturing sector slowed down with the PMI score coming in at 51.7 for August, compared to 51.9 a month earlier.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
