Germany stocks higher at close of trade; DAX up 0.53%

Investing.com – France stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Healthcare, Basic Materials and Consumer Services sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 lost 0.69%, while the SBF 120 index declined 0.65%.

The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Thales (EPA:TCFP), which rose 2.60% or 5.90 points to trade at 232.90 at the close. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) added 1.57% or 0.58 points to end at 37.44 and Credit Agricole SA (EPA:CAGR) was up 1.54% or 0.26 points to 17.16 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were EssilorLuxottica SA (EPA:ESLX), which fell 5.57% or 16.90 points to trade at 286.30 at the close. Bureau Veritas SA (EPA:BVI) declined 2.73% or 0.72 points to end at 25.62 and Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:PERP) was down 2.02% or 1.52 points to 73.70.

The top performers on the SBF 120 were Sopra Steria Group SA (EPA:SOPR) which rose 3.29% to 138.00, Thales (EPA:TCFP) which was up 2.60% to settle at 232.90 and Dassault Aviation SA (EPA:AM) which gained 2.59% to close at 277.00.

The worst performers were Air France KLM SA (EPA:AIRF) which was down 6.96% to 10.43 in late trade, Nexans SA (EPA:NEXS) which lost 6.38% to settle at 123.30 and EssilorLuxottica SA (EPA:ESLX) which was down 5.57% to 286.30 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 279 to 190 and 94 ended unchanged.

Shares in ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) rose to 5-year highs; rising 1.57% or 0.58 to 37.44. Shares in Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:PERP) fell to 5-year lows; falling 2.02% or 1.52 to 73.70.

The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged 0.00% to 18.96 a new 52-week high.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.65% or 27.55 to $4,245.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 1.09% or 0.64 to hit $58.24 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 0.90% or 0.56 to trade at $61.93 a barrel.

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.01% to 1.16, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.07% to 0.87.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.07% at 99.13.

Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Consumer Goods, Healthcare and Industrials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 lost 0.53%.

The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Ageas (EBR:AGES), which rose 2.36% or 1.35 points to trade at 58.60 at the close. Meanwhile, Lotus Bakeries (EBR:LOTB) added 1.06% or 80.00 points to end at 7,640.00 and KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) was up 0.70% or 0.75 points to 108.25 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were D’Ieteren NV (EBR:IETB), which fell 2.55% or 3.80 points to trade at 145.00 at the close. UCB SA (EBR:UCB) declined 2.42% or 6.00 points to end at 242.20 and Argen-X (EBR:ARGX) was down 1.94% or 15.20 points to 768.40.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 61 to 38 and 13 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.63% or 26.65 to $4,244.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 1.12% or 0.66 to hit $58.22 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 0.93% or 0.58 to trade at $61.91 a barrel.

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.01% to 1.16, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.08% to 0.87.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.07% at 99.13.

Investing.com -- British stocks traded flat on Tuesday, as the pound inched lower against the dollar after trading higher earlier in the day, while broader European markets were mixed.

The blue-chip index FTSE 100 fell 0.04% and the British GBP/USD also dropped 0.02% against the dollar to 1.3317.

The DAX index in Germany rose 0.4% and the CAC 40 in France fell 0.7%.

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UK round up

The Bank of England is likely to cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75% at its upcoming December 18 meeting, according to a new report from UBS.

The anticipated rate reduction follows the central bank’s decision to maintain rates at current levels during both its September and November meetings.

UBS analysts noted that financial markets have largely factored in this potential rate cut, with current pricing reflecting expectations of a 21.4 basis point reduction.

Magnum Ice Cream Company began trading as an independent, publicly listed business Tuesday following its demerger from Unilever, prompting initial analyst assessments as the market evaluates the standalone company’s future prospects.

J.P. Morgan initiated coverage with a "neutral" rating and set a December 2027 price target of €14, compared to the €12.84 closing price on Monday. The bank noted that while Magnum offers medium- to long-term earnings growth potential, transition-related costs from operating independently could pressure profitability through 2025 and 2026.

UBS took a more optimistic stance, initiating coverage with a "buy" rating and a €14.30 price target. The bank highlighted potential for a re-rating if Magnum delivers on its medium-term goals.

According to UBS, current market pricing reflects subdued expectations for organic sales growth and free cash flow as Magnum works through its transition-service agreements with Unilever and implements a multi-year cost-efficiency program.

Ashtead Group PLC (LON:AHT) reported modest revenue growth for the first half ended October 31, while reaffirming its full-year outlook.

The company’s group revenue rose 1% to $5.76 billion, with rental revenue increasing 2%. However, adjusted EBITDA declined 2% to $2.66 billion, and adjusted operating profit fell 5% to $1.47 billion, reflecting an adjusted depreciation charge that was 3% higher than the previous year.

In other corporate news, London-headquartered Moonpig Group PLC’s (LON:MOONM) closed 1.2% lower despite earlier climbing over 6% after reporting adjusted earnings per share of 6.9 pence for the six months ended October 31, up 13.1% year-over-year. The company’s adjusted EBITDA increased 7.7% to £45 million, reflecting trading growth, operating leverage, and a £30 million share buyback.

Moonpig also announced CEO Nickyl Raithatha will step down on December 31, with Catherine Faiers set to take over on March 2, 2026. The board stated Raithatha leaves "the business in excellent shape and well positioned to continue to deliver against its strategic objectives."

Meanwhile, British American Tobacco PLC (LON:BATS) reaffirmed its 2026 growth targets on Tuesday but indicated performance will likely come in at the lower end of its 3% to 5% revenue growth range. The tobacco company expects approximately 2% revenue and adjusted profit growth for fiscal year 2025, with New Category products accelerating to double-digit growth in the second half.

Chemring Group PLC (LON:CHG) shares dropped 0.6% after the defense technology company reported higher-than-expected costs for its Norwegian expansion project. Despite this, the company delivered solid full-year results with revenue of £497.5 million for the year ended October 31, up 1.9% from the previous year, and underlying operating profit rising 6% to £73.5 million.

In pharmaceutical news, Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN) has formed a partnership with UK-based Relation Therapeutics Ltd., potentially worth up to $1.7 billion, to accelerate the discovery of drug targets for allergic diseases.

The collaboration will combine Novartis’s immuno-dermatology expertise with Relation’s AI-driven drug discovery platform, which analyzes patient data to better understand genetic drivers of disease, according to Relation CEO David Roblin.

Investing.com – Finland stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Oil & Gas, Industrials and Basic Materials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Helsinki, the OMX Helsinki 25 fell 0.27%.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Helsinki 25 were Nokia Oyj (HE:NOKIA), which rose 1.44% or 0.08 points to trade at 5.35 at the close. Meanwhile, Qt Group Oyj (HE:QTCOM) added 1.44% or 0.46 points to end at 32.36 and Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) was up 1.18% or 0.05 points to 4.12 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Hiab Oyj (HE:HIAB), which fell 3.38% or 1.75 points to trade at 50.10 at the close. Huhtamaki Oyj (HE:HUH1V) declined 1.98% or 0.58 points to end at 28.72 and Nokian Renkaat Oyj (HE:TYRES) was down 1.59% or 0.14 points to 8.68.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Helsinki Stock Exchange by 91 to 80 and 18 ended unchanged.

Brent oil for February delivery was down 0.88% or 0.55 to $61.94 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 1.09% or 0.64 to hit $58.24 a barrel, while the February Gold Futures contract rose 0.58% or 24.45 to trade at $4,242.15 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.03% to 1.16, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.07% to 0.87.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.06% at 99.12.