European stocks fell on Friday as investors digested more quarterly earnings, but weekly losses were inevitable, with concerns regarding overheated valuations evident.
The DAX index in Germany dropped 0.8% and the CAC 40 in France declined 0.2%, while the FTSE 100 in the U.K. fell 0.6%.
Despite the decline, sentiment had earlier been generally been supported by a healthy earnings season, with European firms expected to report growth of 4.3% in third-quarter earnings, on average, data from LSEG showed earlier this week, above the 0.4% increase analysts expected a week ago.
There are more corporate results to digest Friday.
Daimler Truck (ETR:DTGGe) reported a bigger-than-expected 40% drop in third-quarter operating profit on Friday, but the German auto giant stuck to its annual forecasts on the back of a positive momentum in Europe and a recovery in North America.
British Airways parent IAG (LON:ICAG) posted a modest rise in third-quarter operating profit, broadly matching expectations, but cautioned about softer demand for its U.S. economy-class seats.
French specialty chemicals company Arkema (EPA:AKE) lowered its full-year guidance amid weak demand in several key markets.
ITV (LON:ITV) said it was in talks with pay-TV company Sky, owned by Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), over a potential sale of the British broadcaster's media and entertainment unit for £1.6 billion ($2.15 billion) including debt.
Budget carrier Wizz Air (LON:WIZZ) has reached an agreement with airplane manufacturer Airbus to reschedule its current order book, pushing back the delivery of 88 aircraft originally due by fiscal year 2030 to fiscal year 2033.
However, the main European indices reported weekly losses.
The German DAX has posted a weekly loss of around 1.7%, the CAC 40 in Paris of over 2%, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 is down 0.4%.
To be sure, these are modest drops in markets that have run hard for months - both the DAX and the FTSE 100 are up over 19% year-to-date, while the CAC 40 has gained over 8%.
As far as economic data are concerned, German exports rose by 1.4% in September compared with the previous month, above the forecast for a 0.5% increase.
Source: Investing.com
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...
US stock futures edged lower on the final trading day of 2025, as markets prepared to close a turbulent year marked by uncertainty over President Trump's tariffs and enthusiasm around AI-driven gains....
Oil prices fell on Wednesday (December 31st), posting a nearly 20% annual loss, as expectations of oversupply grew in a year marked by war, higher tariffs, increased OPEC+ production, and sanctions against Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Brent crude...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices fell slightly on the final trading day of 2025, trading near $4,310 per troy ounce during Wednesday's European session. Non-yielding precious metals, including gold, lost ground after the minutes of the Federal Open Market...
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 territory. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended the day down...
Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated again after a series of military escalations involving airstrikes and missile retaliation. Iranian...
President Donald Trump said the US attacked a facility inside Venezuela, which would be a significant escalation in his campaign against alleged...
President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to...
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...