European equities traded mostly higher on Wednesday, supported by gains in banking and energy stocks, even as investors kept a close eye on France’s ongoing political turmoil and the U.S. government shutdown.
Markets largely looked past disappointing German economic data, which showed a sharper-than-expected drop in industrial production. According to Destatis, German industrial output fell 4.3% in August, reversing July’s 1.3% gain and missing expectations for a 1% decline.
By midday, the German DAX Index was up 0.7%, while the French CAC 40 and UK’s FTSE 100 each gained 0.9%.
Among individual movers, Commerzbank (TG:CBK), Deutsche Bank (TG:DBK), and Credit Agricole (EU:ACA) each traded about 1% higher, while BP Plc (LSE:BP.) climbed 0.6%, mirroring the uptick in crude oil prices.
Nordex SE (TG:NDX1) rose nearly 2% after the German wind turbine manufacturer secured 236 MW in new U.S. orders, boosting optimism for its international growth.
In contrast, Aurubis dropped 5.6% after the copper producer set its 2025/26 earnings target broadly in line with the prior year, disappointing investors hoping for stronger guidance.
ABB advanced 1.4% after confirming a $5.38 billion sale of its global robotics business to SoftBank Group, while Givaudan (TG:GIN) gained 1.2% following news it will invest CHF 187 million ($233 million) to build a new production facility near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Automaker BMW (TG:BMW) slumped 8.2% after cutting its profit outlook, citing the impact of U.S. tariffs and slower-than-expected Chinese demand. Meanwhile, ASML Holding (EU:ASML) slipped 1.3% as U.S. lawmakers pushed for broader restrictions on chipmaking equipment exports to China.
In London, Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) climbed 2.3% after confirming it is reviewing the FCA’s proposed motor finance redress scheme. Bunzl (LSE:BNZL), however, dipped 1.2% after announcing it had completed two new acquisitions in Ireland and Spain.
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