Trading
European shares log third week of declines on China, tariff jitters
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
By Shashwat Chauhan and Sruthi Shankar
(Reuters) -Europe’s benchmark STOXX 600 logged its third consecutive week of declines on Friday, hurt by underwhelming stimulus measures from China as well as concerns about tariffs under a Trump presidency hurting economic growth.
The pan-European STOXX 600 closed down 0.6%, with China-exposed sectors such as miners and luxury losing more than 3% each. Most major subsectors were in the red barring defensive sectors such as real estate and healthcare.
China unveiled a 10 trillion yuan ($1.40 trillion) debt package on Friday, disappointing investors who had speculated on a fiscal bazooka. Metal prices retreated in response, weighing on miners such as Rio Tinto and Glencore. [MET/L]
The optimism seen on Wall Street has been entirely absent from the UK index, as heavyweight mining stocks shed ground after the National Policy Committee failed to unveil anything of note,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.
Richemont dropped 6.6% after the Cartier jewellery brand owner reported a 1% dip in sales during the three months to the end of September.
Most French luxury stocks fell, with LVMH losing 3.3% and Kering shedding 8%.
The European benchmark logged weekly losses of 0.2%, also as investors assessed the likelihood of tariffs after Donald Trump recaptured the U.S. presidency with a sweeping victory earlier in the week.
“Most people ahead of the election said Trump is maybe good for the U.S., but it’s not good for the rest of the world, and it’s particularly not good for regions that depend on exporting to the U.S. consumer, which is very much Europe,” said Guy Stear, head of developed markets strategy at Amundi.
Vistry slumped 15.5% after Britain’s largest homebuilder by annual output issued its second full-year profit warning in a month.
British Airways-owner IAG jumped 7.2% after its quarterly operating profit jumped 15%, beating estimates.
Pirelli rose 2.8% after the Italian tyre maker’s operating profit rose more than expected in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Wall Street stood at record highs as the Trump rally continued, while the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as widely expected.
Dino Polska jumped about 14.2% after the Polish food retailer’s third quarter results beat market expectations.
Serco Group tumbled 9.8% after the British outsourcing company said it was unsuccessful in its bid to renew an immigration services contract with the Australian government.
(Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman, Abinaya Vijayaraghavan, William Maclean)
Economic growth refers to an increase in the production of goods and services in an economy over a period of time, typically measured by the rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Currency hedging is a financial strategy used to protect against potential losses due to fluctuations in exchange rates. It involves taking offsetting positions in currency markets.
Financial markets are platforms where buyers and sellers engage in the trade of assets such as stocks, bonds, currencies, and derivatives, facilitating the exchange of capital.
Financial stability refers to a condition in which the financial system operates effectively, maintaining the ability to withstand shocks and avoid systemic crises.
Investment opportunities are chances for investors to allocate their resources into assets or projects that are expected to yield a return, such as stocks, real estate, or startups.
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