European Shares Flat To Lower In Cautious Trade

(RTTNews) - European stocks were flat to slightly lower on Wednesday to hover near a two-week low following an overnight selloff in U.S. technology stocks.

Helping limit regional losses, new data showed that German factory orders rebounded at a stronger-than-expected pace in September, driven by higher demand for auto and electrical equipment.

Factory orders expanded 1.1 percent in September from August, Destatis reported. Orders were forecast to advance 0.9 percent, reversing a revised 0.4 percent drop in August.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.1 percent at 569.76 after ending 0.3 percent lower the previous day.

The German DAX dropped half a percent, while France's CAC 40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were marginally lower.

Bouygues shares advanced 1.5 percent. The French conglomerate maintained its FY25 sales growth guidance after reporting a stronger than expected operating profit for the first nine months of the year.

German healthcare group Fresenius rose 1.1 percent after lifting its full-year EBIT guidance.

Kontron surged 4.3 percent. The technology group confirmed its 2025 earnings forecast after reporting strong margin growth during the first nine months of the financial year.

Carmaker BMW gained 1.2 percent as it posted a higher-than-forecast profit margin in its core car business in the third quarter.

Medical technology company Siemens Healthineers slumped 8 percent after posting fourth-quarter revenue slightly below expectations.

Barratt Redrow, Britain's largest homebuilder, rallied 2 percent after keeping FY26 guidance for total home completions unchanged.

Marks And Spencer fell about 1 percent. Profits at the retailer more than halved in first half after a major cyberattack earlier this year disrupted its online operations.

Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize climbed 2.3 percent after it announced plans to carry out 1 billion euro share buyback.