- ECB chief backs bank mergers amid UniCredit, Commerzbank talk
- China stocks soar on stimulus, but US and Europe retreat
- 100 dead in storm Helene damage, flooding across US southeast
- China stocks soar on stimulus, Europe slides on automaker woes
- German antitrust watchdog steps up monitoring of Microsoft
- Nepal's urban poor count cost of 'nightmare' floods
- E.Guinea, Gabon clash at ICJ over oil-rich islands
- New blow for UK's Starmer as growth data disappoints
- China's top banks to tweak mortgage rates to boost housing market
- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
NGG | -0.06% | 69.69 | $ | |
BP | 0.51% | 31.58 | $ | |
SCS | 1.47% | 13.346 | $ | |
BTI | -0.88% | 36.52 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.21% | 24.72 | $ | |
GSK | -0.06% | 40.685 | $ | |
RYCEF | -0.14% | 7.03 | $ | |
BCC | 0.19% | 141.76 | $ | |
RIO | -0.22% | 71.075 | $ | |
BCE | -0.43% | 35.04 | $ | |
JRI | 0.42% | 13.637 | $ | |
RBGPF | 7.18% | 64.75 | $ | |
AZN | -0.05% | 77.585 | $ | |
VOD | -0.4% | 10.05 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.28% | 25.011 | $ | |
RELX | -1.07% | 47.055 | $ |
Eurozone stocks climb but London slips
Eurozone stocks rose Thursday but London drooped as investors digested news that the Federal Reserve held off from a bigger interest rate hike last month owing to Ukraine turmoil, dealers said.
Asian equities closed lower as investors examined minutes from the US central bank's March monetary policy gathering.
Oil prices recovered some of the previous day's heavy losses that had been triggered by concerns about weaker demand because of economic slowdown.
The Fed in March opted to raise US borrowing costs rates by a quarter percentage point, mindful of "greater near-term uncertainty associated with Russia's invasion of Ukraine".
Some policymakers had been in favour of lifting rates half a percentage point.
"As suspected, the war in Ukraine did temper the Federal Reserve's decision to hike rates at its meeting in March," said CMC Markets chief analyst Michael Hewson.
"However, an abundance of caution prompted them to stay their hand until events became clearer knowing that they had the option to go harder and faster later on."
- Inflation fight -
The prospect of rates rising at a quicker pace over the coming months has added to a wave of uncertainty across trading floors.
Central banks across the world are under fierce pressure to tackle runaway inflation, which has soared further on a Ukraine-driven spike in commodities like gas, oil and wheat.
March was the first Fed hike since it slashed US rates to zero when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out two years ago.
While current US data points to a healthy economy, commentators warn of possible hard times ahead.
Wall Street tumbled for the second day in a row on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq again losing more than two percent, as tech firms are more susceptible to higher rates.
In London on Thursday, shares in gambling group 888 surged 21 percent on the British capital's second-tier FTSE 250 index after the company won a discount on its planned purchase of the non-US operations belonging to rival William Hill.
- Key figures around 1115 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,581.52 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.7 percent at 14,250.18
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 6,554.65
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.9 percent at 3,859.29
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.7 percent at 26,888.57 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.2 percent at 21,808.98 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.4 percent at 3,236.70 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 34,496.51 (close)
Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.2 percent at $102.27 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.1 percent at $97.26 per barrel
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0889 from $1.0896 late Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3072 from $1.3069
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.30 pence from 83.37 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 123.73 yen from 123.80 yen
burs-rfj/bcp/lth
D.Avraham--CPN