• Major stock indices in Europe trading mixed

Market news

15 September 2016

Major stock indices in Europe trading mixed

Major stock indices in Western Europe are traded with lower volatility after declining for five consecutive sessions.

The main market focus is now on the Bank of England's decision on intrest rates. Analysts do not expect any action from the Central Bank, but will wait for the bank's assessment of the situation in the British economy after the country's decision to leave the EU.

The focus of investors was also the data of the eurozone and the UK. British retail sales fell at a slower-than-expected pace in August, after recovering in the previous month. Retail sales, including automotive fuel, decreased by 0.2 percent for the month in August, vs +1.9 percent in July. Sales are expected to decline by 0.4 percent. In the same way, except automotive fuel, retail sales fell by 0.3 percent from July, when it grew by 2.1 per cent. That was below the 0.7 percent decline expected by economists. In annual terms, retail sales growth declined slightly to 6.2 percent in August, compared with 6.3 percent a month earlier. Economists had forecast an increase of 5.4 percent. Sales excluding auto fuel advanced 5.9 percent annually in August, after rising 5.8 percent the previous month.

Eurozone annual inflation was 0.2% in August 2016, stable compared with July. In August 2015, this figure was 0.1%. In the European Union annual inflation was 0.3% compared with 0.2% in July. A year earlier the rate was 0.0%. These figures comes from Eurostat.. In August 2016 were reported negative rates in twelve Member States. The lowest annual rates were recorded in Croatia (-1.5%), Bulgaria (-1.1%) and Slovakia (-0.8%). The highest rates were recorded in Belgium (2.0%), Sweden (1.2%) and Estonia (1.1%). Compared with July 2016, annual inflation fell in seven Member States, remained stable in six and rose in fifteen. The largest upward impact on the annual inflation in the euro area came from restaurants & cafés (+0.10 percentage points), fruits and vegetables (+0.07 percentage points), while fuels for transport (-0.35 p. n.), heating oil and gas (-0.12 percentage points) were the biggest downward impacts.

The composite index of the largest companies in the region Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0,1% - to 338.86 points. On September 7 the indicator fell by 3.4%.

Shares of Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc rose 5.7% as its quarterly profit and revenue exceeded market expectations.

The capitalization of Italian Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena has increased by 2.4%. The bank announced the appointment of a new CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The cost of the Swedish retailer H & M fell by 2.5%, as its August sales fell short of forecasts.

Quotes of the cell operator TeliaSonera AB were down 1%. US and Dutch authorities offer companies settle claims of paying bribes in Uzbekistan, paying a fine of $ 1.4 billion.

Shares of Zodiac Aerospace, which last year issued a series of warnings about earnings, also gained 4.8% after reporting annual revenue that exceeded forecasts.

However, shares of Next fell 3% after the British clothing retailer warned of volatile trading, reported on the drop in profits in the first half.

At the moment:

FTSE 6688.75 15.44 0.23%

DAX 10383.30 4.90 0.05%

CAC 4366.86 -3.40 -0.08%

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