STOXX 600 falls on banks drag; tech contains losses on ASMI boost
For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window.
Evotec slides after outlook misses expectations
Roche drops on lower Q1 sales
Kering slumps on warning of H1 operating profit drop
Temenos down after Hindenburg allegations impact Q1
Updates with closing prices
By Ankika Biswas and Johann M Cherian
April 24 (Reuters) - Europe's benchmark stock index dropped on Wednesday as financials sagged on disappointing earnings from Swedish lender Handelsbanken, while technology stocks limited losses after ASM International's strong forecast.
The pan-continent STOXX 600 index .STOXX closed0.5% lower after initially rising to its highest in over a week.
Bank shares .SX7P lost1.2% after Handelsbanken SHBa.ST tumbled12.1% following afirst-quarter net profit miss, while SEB SEBa.ST shed3.7% after posting weaker-than-expected interest income in the first quarter.
Financials .SXFP led sectoral declines, down2%, with Allfunds ALLFG.AS losing11% aftera report that the fund manager abandoned talks over a potential sale.
UBS UBSG.S fell2.9% after the bank's executivesflagged major concerns about the Swiss government's plan to hit it with tougher capital requirements.
Techstocks <.SX8P> rose1.3% after ASM International ASMI.AS jumped11% as the wafer-processing equipment supplier raised itssecond-quarter revenue forecast.
Of the 34 STOXX 600 companies thathave reported first-quarter earnings, 61.8% exceeded estimates, compared with a long-term average of 54%, LSEGdata on Tuesday showed.
Sentiment soured afterBundesbank President Joachim Nagel notedeuro zone inflation could remain stubborn, so a possible interest rate cut by the European Central Bank might notbe followed by further policy easing.
"The ECB may potentially cut by 25 basis points in June and then hold for a month or two in order to assess its impact," said Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com.
"But out of the major central banks, the ECB looks the most likely to cut."
European stocks had a stellar run in the previous two quarters, before pausing inApril as geopolitical tensions and concerns around a weak earnings seasonovershadowed optimism of an imminent rate cut.
Evotec EVTG.DE slumped32% after the German biotech firm announced a disappointing2024 outlook.
Drugmaker RocheROG.S lost 3.3% after first-quarter sales slipped 6% on the loss on COVID-related revenue.
Volvo Car VOLCARb.ST slumped 10.3% after the Swedish automaker posted downbeat quarterly profits, while Kering PRTP.PA fell 6.9% after the luxury goods maker forecast a 40% to 45% plunge in first-half operating profit.
Temenos TEMN.S dropped8.7% after the Swiss banking software group reported thatshort seller allegations from February led to delays in client decision-making in the first quarter.
Swedish industrial manufacturer Atlas Copco ATCOa.ST jumped8.4% after surpassing estimates forfirst-quarter order intake in every business division.
Norwegian insurer Storebrand STB.OL climbed7.5% after it announced afirst-quarter results beat and a share buyback programme.
Reporting by Johann M Cherian and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Richard Chang
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
