European Stocks Close Mostly Higher

(RTTNews) - European stocks closed higher on Thursday on selective buying as investors focused on trade negotiations and digested regional economic data. Data showing stronger than expected U.S. non-farm payroll employment, and receding concerns about the political situation in the UK helped underpin sentiment.

Among the major markets, the U.K. market outperformed amid easing political concerns after the nation's Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly backed Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The reassurance from Starmer that Reeve would remain Chancellor "many years to come" helped lift investor sentiment.

The pan European Stoxx 600 edged up 0.11%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.45%. Germany's DAX crept up 0.06% and France's CAC 40 ended down 0.14%. Switzerland's SMI closed down 0.12%.

Among other markets in Europe, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkiye closed higher.

Belgium and Denmark ended weak, while Iceland and Ireland closed flat.

In the UK market, Coca-Cola gained nearly 4%. Natwest Group, Lloyds Banking Group, Convatec Group, Pershing Square Holdings, SSE, Next, Airtel Africa and Tesco gained 2.3 to 3.2%.

Schroders, RightMove, Berkeley Group Holdings, Marks & Spencer, Barclays, Weir Group, British American Tobacco, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Intermediate Capital Group also moved up sharply.

Murray Income Trust Inc. gained 3.2% after its board launched a surprise strategic review. 3i Infrastructure climbed about 1.7% after it reported fiscal Q1 total income in line with expectations.

Watches of Switzerland Group Plc shares ended lower by more than 7% after the company warned of a margin hit from U.S. tariffs.

Rio Tinto and AstraZeneca ended lower by about 2% and 1.8%, respectively. Melrose Industries, GSK and Anglo American Plc also closed weak.

In the German market, Commerzbank, Henkel, SAP and Infineon climbed 2 to 2.5%. MTU Aero Engines, Deutsche Boerse, Allianz and Siemens Energy also ended higher.

BASF, Rheinmetall, Sartorius and Merck lost 1.7 to 2.2%. Puma, Bayer, Siemens Healthineers and BMW ended lower by 0.9 to 1.2%.

In the French market, STMicroElectronics, Thales, Societe Generale, AXA and Accor gained 1.8 to 2.5%. Safran, Hermes International, Airbus and Teleperformance also posted impressive gains.

Engie and Kering ended down by about 2.3% and 2.1%, respectively. Sanofi, Renault, Vivendi, Pernod Ricard, Credit Agricole and Publicis Groupe also closed weak.

On the economic front, data from S&P Global showed that the UK S&P Global Composite PMI was revised up to 52.0 in June 2025 from the preliminary 50.7 and up from 50.3 in May, marking the second straight month above the 50.0 growth threshold after April's brief contraction.

The S&P Global UK Services PMI was revised slightly higher to 52.8 in June 2025 from a preliminary of 51.3, and above May's reading of 50.9. The latest data indicated a faster expansion in the country's services sector, and the strongest since August 2024.

Final data from S&P Global confirmed the HCOB Germany Composite PMI score for June at 50.4, marking a return to growth in private sector activity after a contraction in May (48.5). The HCOB Germany Services PMI rose to 49.7 in June from 47.1 in May, revised up from a preliminary reading of 49.4.

The HCOB France Composite PMI came in at 49.2 in June, broadly unchanged from 49.3 in May, and revised higher from a flash estimate of 48.5. The Manufacturing PMI score came in at 48.1 for June, down from 49.8 in May, while the Services PMI reading for June came in at 49.6, up from May's 48.9.

The HCOB Eurozone Composite PMI rose to 50.6 in June 2025, up from both May's reading and the preliminary estimate of 50.2. The HCOB Eurozone Services PMI rose to 50.5 in June from 49.7 in the previous month, revised higher from the flash estimate of 50.