European Stocks Settle On Mixed Note

BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks closed on a mixed note on Monday after struggling for support earlier in the session amid concerns about tensions in the Middle East and the independence of the Federal Reserve.

According to reports, U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing options to take action against Iran. Citing U.S. officials, several media outlets said Trump has been shown plans ranging from possible military strikes to action that doesn't include the military.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Sunday that Federal prosecutors opening a criminal investigation related to his Senate Banking Committee testimony on the renovation of Fed office buildings, was another attempt by the U.S. President to influence the Central Bank's monetary policy.

The pan European Stoxx 600 gained 0.21%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 0.16% and Germany's DAX ended 0.57% up, while France's CAC 40 edged down 0.04%. Switzerland's SMI crept up 0.04%.

Among other markets in Europe, Greece, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkiye closed higher.

Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Portugal and Russia ended weak, while Austria and Ireland closed flat.

In the UK market, mining stocks had a good outing. Fresnillo jumped 6.5%, Endeavour Mining climbed 4.2%, Glencore moved up 2.75% and Rio Tinto gained 2.15%. Antofagasta and Anglo American Plc, both gained about 2.1%.

Diageo surged 2.75%. The Sage Group, BAE Systems, Standard Chartered, British American Tobacco, Babcock International, Persimmon, LSED, Croda International, Pearson, Intertek Group and Peshing Square Holdings also posted strong gains.

Among the losers, British Land, IAG, Severn Trent, Ashtead Group, Marks & Spencer, Land Securities, Mondi, Barclays, Experian, DCC and EasyJet ended down by 2 to 4%.

In the German market, Fresenius, Fresenius Medical Care, Beiersdorf, Merck, Bayer and Deutsche Bank gained 2 to 3%.

Auto stocks drifted lower. BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche Automobil Holding and Mercedes-Benz lost 1 to 2%.

In the French market, Eurofins Scientific climbed about 3.5%. Saint Gobain gained 2.3%, while ArcelorMittal, Thales and L'Oreal gained 1.4 to 2%.

Stellantis, TP, Capgemini, Edenred, Sanofi, Bureau Veritas and Publicis Groupe lost 1.7 to 4.3%. Publicis Groupe and STMicroElectronics also ended notably lower.

In economic news, a survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and KPMH showed hiring by UK employers dropped in December due to rising costs and weak sentiment following the government raising taxes in November.

Eurozone investor confidence improved to a six-month high in January, a survey conducted by the behavioral research institute Sentix showed.

The Sentix investor confidence rose more-than-expected to -1.8 in January from -6.2 in December. The score was forecast to rise moderately to -5.1.

The improvement was driven by the expectations index, which rose to 10.0 from 4.8. Meanwhile, the assessment of the current situation remained subdued at -13.0. Nonetheless, the indicator showed an upward trend, the think tank noted.

'In Germany, there is a small silver lining on the horizon at the start of the year,' Sentix said. The investor sentiment index posted -16.4, better than -22.7 in December. Moreover, this was the highest level since August 2025.

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