European markets were largely unchanged on Wednesday, hovering close to a two-week low as investors digested a sharp overnight sell-off in U.S. technology shares.
Losses in the region were partially offset by encouraging economic data from Germany, where factory orders rose more than expected in September, helped by stronger demand in the automotive and electrical equipment sectors.
According to Destatis, German factory orders increased 1.1% month-on-month in September, exceeding forecasts for a 0.9% gain and rebounding from a revised 0.4% drop in August.
In equity markets, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.2%, while the French CAC 40 slipped 0.1% and Germany’s DAX declined 0.3%.
Among individual movers, Bouygues (EU:EN) rose after the French conglomerate maintained its full-year revenue growth outlook and posted a stronger-than-expected operating profit for the first nine months.
Fresenius (BIT:1FME) gained ground as the German healthcare group lifted its full-year EBIT guidance, while Kontron (TG:KTN) rallied after confirming its 2025 earnings forecast and reporting robust margin expansion.
BMW (TG:BMW) advanced after the automaker reported a higher-than-expected profit margin in its core automotive division for the third quarter.
In the U.K., Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) climbed after reaffirming its fiscal 2026 target for total home completions.
Elsewhere, Ahold Delhaize (EU:AD) jumped after announcing a €1 billion share buyback, reflecting confidence in its financial position.
On the downside, Siemens Healthineers (BIT:1SHL) plunged after quarterly revenue came in slightly below forecasts, while Marks & Spencer (LSE:MKS) retreated as first-half profits were cut in half following a major cyberattack earlier this year that disrupted its online operations.
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