European Shares Mixed With Powell Speech In Focus

(RTTNews) - European stocks were mixed on Thursday following hawkish comments from Fed and ECB officials.

Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson on Wednesday said that high uncertainty could warrant an aggressive, rather than a gradual, policy response.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell didn't comment on monetary policy or the economic outlook in prepared remarks at a conference on Wednesday. He will appear again on a panel discussing monetary policy challenges later today.

European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos told Slovenia's Finance newspaper in an interview published today that any talk of lowering borrowing costs in the coming months is clearly premature.

The pan European STOXX 600 was up 0.2 percent at 444.85 after gaining 0.3 percent on Wednesday.

The German DAX was marginally lower, and France's CAC 40 slipped 0.1 percent, while France's CAC 40 rose 0.3 percent.

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal fell 1.4 percent after reporting lower Q3 profit and sales. Drug maker AstraZeneca jumped over 3 percent in London after reporting better-than-expected Q3 results and raising its profit outlook.

Flutter Entertainment plunged 12 percent. The online betting firm said it has finalized its plans to list in the U.S. and delist from Euronext Dublin, the Irish Stock Exchange.

Wizz Air Holdings slumped 7.4 percent after the budget carrier narrowed its annual profit forecast.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey rose nearly 2 percent after backing its 2023 view. France's Schneider Electric soared 5.5 percent after its long-term outlook announcement.

Planemaker Airbus fell 1.9 percent, a day after posting higher underlying third-quarter profit and reaffirming financial and delivery targets for 2023.

German consumer goods company Henkel rallied 3.5 percent after raising its guidance for the year.

Deutsche Telekom added about 1 percent. The telecommunications operator announced its third revision to its earnings outlook for 2023, following a strong Q3 performance.

Life sciences and chemical group Merck KGaA surged 4.3 percent after reporting better-than-expected profit.