Dec 15 ,2025
Synopsis:
European equity markets closed higher with UK closing near session highs. Follows last week's softer performance. Banks, travel/leisure and insurance were the best performers. Autos, real estate and retail lagged.
Nothing incremental for European markets after coming under pressure late Friday and ending week lower. Markets keying off better US sentiment. Note, tech remained a focal point overnight with weakness the big story in key Asian markets amid a selloff in chip stocks. Concerns revolve around intertwined risks on infrastructure/debt/ROI/OpenAI.
Focus to turn to central bank updates this week with four policy decisions in Europe, including the ECB and the BoE. The BoE is the only central bank in region tipped to cut rates.
Macro data in Europe includes firmer German wholesale prices and Eurozone industrial production saw strongest performance in five months in October. Survey on latest UK labor market developments from REC showed job listings fell for second month in a row. Update from property portal Rightmove highlights slowdown in UK housing market into year-end.
Elsewhere, European leaders to decide on loans to Ukraine as peace talks continue in the background. Ukraine President Zelensky dropped Nato membership ambitions in exchange for security guarantees.
In M&A news, Orange (ORA.FP) announced a binding agreement with Lorca to acquire their 50% stake in MasOrange for €4.25B in cash whilst - still in France - Carrefour (CA.FP) sold four more hypermarkets in Spain to a US buyer, local press reported. In Spain, ACCIONA Energía (ANE.SM) sold a 49% stake in a 1.3GW photovoltaic portfolio in the US and its full stake in two wind farms in Mexico for ~$1B. In the UK, Next (NXT.LN) is reportedly among few suitors for Russell & Bromley and - in the Nordics - Sobi (SOBI.SS) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc.
Elsewhere, Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK.LN) CEO stepped down and the UK's FRC commences investigation in relation to statutory audit by Ernst & Young of consolidated financial statements of Shell (SHEL.LN) for the financial year ended 31-Dec-24.
Digest:
Sectors - STOXX Europe 600:
Outperformers:
Banks +1.69%, Travel & Leisure +1.13%, Insurance +1.10%, Construct & Mtls +1.09%, Utilities +0.96%, Food & Beverage +0.94%, Basic Resources +0.89%
Underperformers:
Autos & Parts (0.26%), Real Estate (0.13%), Retail (0.08%), Chemicals +0.12%, Telecom +0.18%, Oil & Gas +0.28%, Media +0.34%, Health Care +0.38%, Technology +0.40%, Persnl & HHold Goods +0.64%, Financial Svcs +0.64%, Ind Goods & Svcs +0.66%
Peripheral markets:
Geopolitics:
Zelensky offers to drop NATO membership bid as Trump envoy seeks progress in peace talks - France24
EU's von der Leyen, NATO's Rutte join Ukraine talks in Berlin - Reuters
EU approves extending freeze on Russian assets to help Ukraine war effort - Bloomberg
France and Italy aligned on need to delay final Mercosur vote, say sources - Reuters
France:
French senators approve 2026 budget bill - Reuters
UK:
Business groups urge peers to pass UK employment rights bill - FT
Bank of England set to cut rates to 3.75% as economic data eases inflation concerns - FT
UK labor market weakened further into the year end survey shows - Recruitment and Confederation release
Rightmove forecasts UK new seller asking prices +2% y/y in 2026 - release
UK Finance mortgage market forecasts 2026 - Property Industry Eye
Policy makers need to focus on forgotten driver of Britain's jobs downturn - rising unemployment - Resolution Foundation
Switzerland:
SECO forecasts Swiss 2026 GDP +0.9% vs prior estimate +1.5%, downside risks currently dominate - release
Company news:
Notable Gainers
+23.6% TOBII.SS (Tobii SEK1.90, +0.36) -- DMS licensing deal
+18.5% JUVE.IM (Juventus Football Club €2.60, +0.41) -- Tether submits proposal to acquire Juventus Football Club; Exor board unanimously rejects Tether's unsolicited proposal to acquire Juventus
+10.5% CHAR.LN (Chariot £0.02, -0.00) -- financing completed for South Africa Wind Projects
+9.0% FRAS.LN (Frasers Group £6.86, +0.57) -- buyback
+4.1% BIOVIC.B.SS (Biovica International SEK0.56, +0.02) -- commercial client agreement
+3.3% PLNW.FP (Planisware €21.80, +0.70) -- initiated buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
+3.1% BKS.LN (Beeks Financial Cloud Group £2.50, +0.08) -- contract
+2.5% EZE.SM (Grupo Ezentis €0.09, -0.00) -- contract
+2.5% HBMN.SW (HBM Healthcare Investments CHF224.50, +5.50) -- to sell majority stake in Swixx Biopharma to SK Capital Partners
+2.3% BPT.LN (Bridgepoint Group £2.85, +0.06) -- Deutsche Numis upgrade
+1.9% VK.FP (Vallourec €15.75, +0.30) -- initiated buy at Goldman Sachs
+1.6% NESTE.FH (Neste €18.60, +0.29) -- Berenberg upgrade; revises some climate targets
+1.5% SFL.IM (Safilo Group €1.94, +0.03) -- confirms that it does not intend to make a firm offer for Inspecs
Notable Decliners
-20.9% TRUE.B.SS (Truecaller SEK18.10, -4.78) -- profit warning
-19.6% TTG.LN (TT Electronics £1.06, -0.26) -- DBAY confirms that it does not intend to make offer for TT Electronics
-10.8% SWTQ.SW (Schweiter Technologies CHF248.00, -30.00) -- prelim sales
-6.5% HUBN.SW (HUBER+SUHNER CHF144.00, -10.00) -- profit warning
-5.7% DOCM.SW (DocMorris CHF5.57, -0.34) -- competitor dm to launch own online pharmacy on this week
-3.9% HNSA.SS (Hansa Biopharma SEK34.50, -1.40) -- reorganization of its European and International Commercial and Medical Affairs operations
-3.9% TNOM.FH (Talenom €3.07, -0.13) -- profit warning
-3.8% CICN.SW (Cicor Technologies CHF125.50, -5.00) -- DBAY confirms that it does not intend to make offer for TT Electronics
-3.3% SAN.FP (Sanofi €80.60, -2.72) -- update on tolebrutinib regulatory submission
-3.0% DBV.FP (DBV Technologies €3.13, -0.10) -- initiated overweight at Cantor Fitzgerald
-1.7% SOBI.SS (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum SEK324.00, -5.60) -- acquisition
EU companies reporting tomorrow:
Earnings:
Nordics: Per Aarsleff Holding (PAAL.B.DC)
UK: Hollywood Bowl Group (BOWL.LN)
Trading Update:
UK: Sthree (STEM.LN)
Traffic: Aeroport de Paris (ADP.FP), Flughafen Wien (FLU.AV), VINCI (DG.FP)
EGM: Mendus (IMMU.SS), BE Group (BERG.SS), ACOMO (ACOMO.NA)
CMD/Events: Novonesis (NSIS.B.DC) spotlight educational session on Dairy (webcast)
Data:
Economics:
UK Dec house price index (0.6%) y/y vs prior (0.5%) - Rightmove
Finland Nov CPI (0.1%) y/y vs consensus (0.1%), prior (0.2%)
Norway Nov trade balance NOK41.3B vs consensus NOK45.1B, prior revised NOK56.1B from NOK56.5B
Switzerland Oct PPI (1.6%) y/y vs consensus (1.9%), prior (1.7%)
Eurozone Oct +2.0% y/y vs consensus +1.9%, prior +1.2%
Markets:
WTI Crude (Jan 26): ($0.78) or (1.36%) to $56.66
€-$ +0.0015 or +0.13% to 1.1754
£-$ +0.0005 or +0.04% to 1.3378
€-£ +0.0011 to 0.8789
S&P 500 (0.16%)
Performance year-to-date
FTSE 100: +19.31%
DAX: +21.70%
CAC: +10.08%
MIB: +29.05%
Stoxx 600: +14.76%
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