Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 30, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleEuropean stocks hit record highs, driven by banks and miners. STOXX 600 rose 0.6%, with defense stocks set for a major annual gain.
By Ragini Mathur and Pranav Kashyap
Dec 30 (Reuters) - European stocks logged a second consecutive record close on Tuesday, lifted by banks and commodity-linked shares, although gains were capped by thin, year-end trading.
The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.6% at 592.78, edging ever closer to the 600 points milestone.
Banks jumped 1.3%, while aerospace and defence gained 1.4%.
The defence index has scored a run of record highs this year and, despite easing back since October, is still on course for its biggest annual gain since 1996, buoyed by pledges of higher defence spending across Europe.
Basic resources led the STOXX 600 higher, up 1.7%, as silver and gold steadied after a sharp retreat from record highs. [GOL/]
Energy added 0.7%. Oil prices climbed more than 2% in the prior session after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking President Vladimir Putin's residence, while investors looked for clearer signals on Ukraine peace talks.
All STOXX 600 sub-indexes were in the green, with Technology rising 0.7%.
Moves across major regional markets were higher, with the benchmark index in London up 0.7% and Germany's up 0.6%.
As 2025 draws to a close, the index is on track for its strongest annual performance since 2021, bolstered by a combination of declining interest rates, Germany's commitment to fiscal expansion, and investors diversifying away from premium-valued U.S. technology stocks.
"Investors have been looking beyond the usual suspects for value and diversification ... and the world continued to be beset with geopolitical turmoil and fears of an AI bubble," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
Many European exchanges will be shut on Wednesday, while others, including London and Paris, will run shortened sessions ahead of the New Year holiday.
With the week compressed by holidays, trading is expected to stay light. Sparse corporate updates and a thin calendar of catalysts leave investors leaning more heavily than usual on the U.S. Federal Reserve's December meeting minutes, due later in the day.
"The current market mood is very strong and positive for European equities, and we expect more of the same strong performance in 2026, particularly for defence stocks and European banks," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.
Among individual stocks, Fresnillo climbed 6.8%, topping the benchmark index after Citi analysts raised their target price for the stock while maintaining a buy rating.
Airbus rose 1.5% after Air China signed an agreement with the planemaker to purchase 60 A320NEO jets in a deal worth around $9.5 billion at list prices.
(Reporting by Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Harikrishnan Nair and Louise Heavens)
The STOXX 600 is a stock index that represents the performance of 600 large, mid, and small-cap companies across 17 European countries, providing a broad view of the European equity market.
Commodity-linked shares are stocks of companies whose performance is closely tied to the prices of commodities, such as metals, oil, and agricultural products, often influenced by supply and demand dynamics.
Investor sentiment is the overall attitude of investors toward a particular market or asset, often influenced by news, economic indicators, and market trends, affecting buying and selling decisions.
Basic resources refer to companies involved in the extraction and processing of natural resources, such as metals, minerals, and energy, which are fundamental to various industries and economies.
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