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
Asia-Pacific stock markets are expected to open mixed on Friday, marking a cautious start to the new year. This movement follows the New Year's Eve close of US markets, where the three major Wall Stre...
European stocks ended mixed on the last trading day of the year. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed a shortened trading session 0.1% lower on Wednesday, with most sector indexes in negative terr...
Stocks were little changed Wednesday as Wall Street got ready to close out a bumper year for equities. Stocks are riding a three-session losing streak, although the declines have been mild and the S&...
Happy New Year 2026 Newsmaker.id...
European equities traded at all-time highs on the final day of 2025, setting the stage for their strongest year since 2021, driven by gains in banks and miners. The STOXX 50 rose 0.5% to near a record...
Iran warns of a strong response to new threats of attack from US President Donald Trump, who has expressed readiness to support attacks on Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear or missile programs. Iran has said it will respond "severely" if attacked...
The US dollar opened 2026 weakly on Friday. Throughout last year, the dollar was pressured by many major currencies due to narrowing interest rate differentials between the US and other countries. Concerns about the US budget deficit, the global...
Precious metals opened the New Year 2026 with strong performance in Friday's trading. Gold, silver, and platinum continued their strong rally after posting remarkable gains throughout 2025. Global geopolitical tensions and hopes for interest rate...
The US Federal Reserve agreed to cut interest rates at its December meeting only after a highly nuanced debate about the current risks facing the US...
European stocks picked up steam on Tuesday, extending gains to notch a fresh record high.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed...
Geopolitical tensions in Latin America are escalating again, particularly regarding Venezuela and pressure from US policies. This situation has...
US stocks held their muted momentum on Tuesday, set to close the year relatively near recent record highs as markets assessed the outlook of robust...