Investing.com — European markets traded largely flat on Thursday after the European Central Bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points, as widely expected.
At 12:15 ET (17:15 GMT), the stock rose 0.15%, the UK quote rose 0.12% and fell 0.03%.
Result of the ECB meeting
Eurozone inflation stood at 2.3% in November, marginally above the ECB target of 2.0%, but the central bank’s new projections are likely to show inflation back on target within a few months.
They offered something surprising earlier in the session, cutting rates by as much as 50 basis points as policymakers tried to curb the franc’s appreciation.
Stock trading took place within tight margins during Thursday’s European session.
US inflation data meets expectations
In the United States, the latest inflation data showed a 0.3% month-on-month increase in consumer prices, with an annual growth rate of 2.7%.
Both figures were in line with economists’ forecasts and provided some relief for markets after recent volatility.
Producer prices will be announced later on Thursday, but this should be a big surprise to change market expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut on December 18.
Currys is rising after strong results in the first half of the year
In business news, shares of Currys (LON:) rose more than 17% after the electrical goods retailer delivered standout results for the first half of its 2025 financial year, showing strong profitability growth in key regions despite a challenging consumer environment.
Shares of Lonza (SIX:) rose more than 4.9% after the pharmaceutical company announced plans to divest its Capsules & Health Ingredients division as part of a strategy to sharpen its focus on drug development and manufacturing.
Oil prices are rising under mixed influences
Oil prices were relatively stable on Thursday as traders assessed a mix of global factors.
At 12:15 ET, futures prices were down 0.26% at $73.3 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 0.33% to $70.50 per barrel.
This stability followed a sharp increase in the previous session, driven by expectations of tighter global supply due to possible new US sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Earnings were also boosted earlier this week by China’s announcement of additional economic stimulus, although OPEC’s recent gloomy outlook on oil demand dampened enthusiasm.
(Navamya Acharya contributed to this article.)
