European equities moved higher on Thursday, recovering ground after U.S. President Donald Trump shelved plans to impose tariffs on eight European countries and ruled out the use of force over Greenland.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he held a “very productive” discussion with Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, focusing on how NATO allies can work together to strengthen security in the Arctic region. The talks covered not only Greenland but also the seven NATO member states with territory in the Arctic.
Markets responded positively, with the UK’s FTSE 100 rising around 0.4%, while France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX were both up about 1.0%.
In corporate news, Associated British Foods (LSE:ABF) advanced after publishing an update on its trading performance over the Christmas period.
Shares in Bayer (TG:BAYN) also moved higher after the German chemicals and pharmaceuticals group said its investigational cell therapy, OpCT-001, had been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
Europe’s largest carmaker, Volkswagen (TG:VOW3), posted strong gains after reporting robust full-year cash flow.
French transport infrastructure operator Getlink (EU:GET) also traded higher after announcing stable 2025 revenue of just over €1.59 billion.
Telecom stocks were among the top performers, with Orange (EU:ORA) and Bouygues (EU:EN) jumping after confirming that, alongside Iliad’s Free, they are in talks with Altice Group to acquire a significant portion of its French telecommunications operations.
On the downside, Swedish hygiene products group Essity (TG:ESWB) fell sharply after reporting weaker sales volumes in the fourth quarter.
In London, B&M European Value Retail (LSE:BME) shares also declined after the retailer cut its full-year outlook following disappointing Christmas trading.
Leave a Reply