European equity markets were mixed on Tuesday after posting broadly positive moves in the previous session, as investors digested fresh economic data and company news.
France’s CAC 40 was edging up around 0.1%, while Germany’s DAX slipped 0.3%. In London, the FTSE 100 underperformed, falling about 0.5%.
Earlier in the day, data from the Office for National Statistics showed the U.K. unemployment rate ticked higher in the three months to October. The jobless rate rose to 5.1%, compared with 5.0% in the prior period.
Average earnings excluding bonuses increased 4.6% year on year in the three months to October, slightly ahead of the 4.5% growth expected by economists. Meanwhile, the number of payroll employees fell by 171,000, or 0.6%, in November compared with a year earlier. On a month-on-month basis, however, employment increased by 38,000 to 30.3 million.
In corporate developments, Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR.) shares moved lower despite the engine maker announcing plans to begin a £200 million interim share buyback programme on January 2, 2026.
Centrica (LSE:CNA) also declined after the British energy group sold Spirit Energy’s 15% stake in the Cygnus gas field to Serica Energy for £98 million.
By contrast, IG Group Holdings (LSE:IGG) jumped after the online trading company extended its share buyback scheme and reported a 29% rise in organic trading revenue for the quarter ended November 30.
Shares in Holcim (TG:HLBN) advanced after the Swiss cement producer said it had agreed to pay $550 million for a majority stake in a Peruvian building materials business.
Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) also gained ground after announcing a five-year Master Frame Agreement with stc Group aimed at boosting Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure.
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