European stocks closed flat on Friday, after data showed the U.K. economic growth stalled in July.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was flat at 0.09% with no broad consensus movement among sectors and major bourses.
Data released on Friday morning showed that the U.K. economy recorded zero growth in July, following a 0.4% economic expansion the previous month. The economic flatlining adds to the Bank of England's considerations as it prepares to update its monetary policy next week.
On Thursday, the European Central Bank left its key interest rate unchanged in a highly anticipated move.
In corporate news, Spanish lender Sabadell 's board unanimously recommended the bank's shareholders reject a hostile takeover bid from domestic peer BBVA
Sabadell CEO César González-Bueno told CNBC on Friday that the 15-billion-euro ($17.6 billion) bid undervalues the bank.
Shares of Sabadell rose 0.7% on Friday, while BBVA stock was flat.
Shares of Vestas Wind tumbled toward the bottom of the Stoxx 600 in morning trade, shedding 4.3% after U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters offshore wind would not be used as a source of electricity under U.S. President Donald Trump's leadership. The stock ended the day down 2.6%.
"Under this administration, there is not a future for offshore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough," he told reporters on Thursday.
Elsewhere, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told the Financial Times the budget airline was prepared to cut a further 1 million tickets to Spain amid an ongoing row over the country's taxation policies.
Overnight in Asia, stocks were broadly higher.
International investors are looking ahead to the U.S. Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee, slated to take place on Sept. 16 and 17.
Money markets are overwhelmingly pricing in a 25-basis-points rate cut from Fed policymakers when they convene next week, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. U.S. core inflation rose to 3.1% on an annual basis in August, data showed on Thursday, paving the way for the Fed to cut its key interest rate.
Source: CNBC
European stocks weakened slightly on Wednesday (October 29, 2025), after several consecutive days of record highs. The STOXX 600 index fell by around -0.3% to 576 points, while the STOXX 50 also corre...
Asian stock markets opened higher on Wednesday (October 29th), buoyed by positive sentiment from Wall Street. Investors are confident that the artificial intelligence (AI) trend can continue to drive ...
European stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday after reaching record peaks on the previous session on mixed earnings results, while markets continued to assess the outlook on global trade and Europe...
Wall Street's main indexes opened at record highs on Tuesday after upbeat forecasts from companies such as UnitedHealth and UPS, while Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab topped $4 trillion in market value ...
The European session on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, opened on a more cautious note. After consecutive rallies and a new record on the STOXX 600 earlier this week, markets are expected to move slightly ...
Silver (XAG/USD) strengthened on Wednesday (October 29th), rising 2.50% for the day and trading around $48.25 per ounce at the time of writing. The gray metal benefited from renewed interest in safe-haven assets as investors remained cautious ahead...
Oil prices were steady on Wednesday (October 29th) as investors weighed optimism over a meeting between the leaders of major consumers, the US and China, against expectations of an increase in production quotas from the next OPEC+ meeting. Brent...
China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will meet with US President Donald Trump in South Korea on Thursday. The meeting is a highly anticipated one that traders and investors on both sides of the Pacific hope will ease months of trade...
Asian stock markets opened higher on Wednesday (October 29th), buoyed by positive sentiment from Wall Street. Investors are confident that the...
The European session on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, opened on a more cautious note. After consecutive rallies and a new record on the STOXX 600...
European stocks continued to strengthen on Monday, October 27, 2025, as markets grew more confident after the US and China announced they had a...
Federal Reserve policymakers are widely expected to reduce U.S. short-term borrowing costs this week by a quarter of a percentage point for the...