European stock markets move lower to close the week. At the opening this Friday they show widespread cuts after the gains recorded in yesterday’s session. On a day in which maximum volatility is expected before the quadruple witching hour, the expiration of options and futures on both sides of the Atlantic, on the third Friday of each month.
In this way in these first minutes of business….the EURO STOXX 50 drops 0.15% to 5,733 points, the DAX gives up 0.11% and stands at 24,173 points, the CAC 40 falls 0.12% at the opening this Friday and stands at 8,144 points, the FTSE MIB gup 0.08% to 44,510 and the FT 100 it gives up 0.12% to 9,826 points.
For its part, the IBEX 35 rose 0.12% at the opening this Friday to reach 17,153.70 points. The greatest advances are for Banco Sabadell, which adds 0.98%, while BBVA rises 0.74%. In negative territory, ArcelorMittal fell 1.06% and Telefónica fell 0.72%.
A session that is marked after yesterday’s gains, as lower-than-expected US inflation bolstered hopes for Fed rate cuts in 2026 and a more positive view of the economy from the European Central Bank after maintaining rates.
In fact, andThe ECB kept interest rates stable and adopted a more positive stance on the euro zone economy, which has proven resilient to global trade disruptions, likely solidifying investor expectations of no rate changes.
Of course, according to Lagarde’s words, she kept her options open, reiterating that she would set rates «meeting by meeting» based on economic data, following Isabel Schnabel’s hint last week that the next measure could be a rate hike.
Regarding today’s data, we have on the table the Ifo employment barometer in Germany. Thus, the willingness of German companies to hire suffered a new setback in December. The Ifo Institute reported that its employment index fell to 91.9 points from 92.5 points the previous month. This is the lowest reading since May 2020.
«In 2025, we will see a gradual decline in employment, especially in the manufacturing sector,» said Klaus Wohlrabe, director of Ifo surveys. «Economic weakness continues to weigh on the labor market.»
Regarding companies, Kering is expanding its presence in Italy through a gradual acquisition. The French luxury goods group announced that it will initially acquire a 20% stake in jewelry maker Raselli Franco. The full acquisition is expected to be completed in 2032. The parent company of Gucci and Balenciaga will pay €115 million for the first tranche.
Enelthe Italian electricity company that owns 71% of Endesa, is preparing to return to the debt market in 2026.
The Board of Directors, meeting this Thursday, has approved the issuance of one or more non-convertible bonds in the form of subordinated hybrid securities, including those with unlimited maturity, up to a maximum total amount of 2,000 million euros.
Already on Wall Street, The S&P 500 snapped a four-day decline on Thursday, driven by lower-than-expected inflation data that improved prospects for lower interest rates in 2026 and explosive guidance from the chipmaker. Micron Technologies.
He S&P 500 rose one 0.79% to stand at 6,774.76, while the Nasdaq OMX aIt rose 1.38% to 23,006.36 points. He DOW JONES Ind Average it gained 65.88 points, or 0.14%, to close the day at 47,951.85.
And in Asia, most Asian stocks rose on Fridaydriven by a rally in technology stocks following sharp losses last week, while markets showed limited reaction to an in-line rate hike by the Bank of Japan.
He Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1%trimming gains slightly but still leading gains in Asian markets, while the broader TOPIX index added 0.9%.
South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.8% on Friday, but it was the worst performer in Asia this week, falling almost 4% as technology sector valuations fell.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.6% and fell 1.5% this week. Technology indices with relatively lower valuations posted minor losses this week. China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes rose 0.6% each on Friday and were unchanged for the week.
The dollarafter yesterday’s falls, gains positions, after data showed a lower-than-expected increase in inflation in the United States, while the pound sterling rose after the Bank of England cut interest rates.
Thus, the Euro Dollar relationship is negative for the single European currency, which drops 0.15% to 1.1707 units. In the case of Bitcoin, advances of 1.17% to $87,840 per asset.
To close, oil, with cuts, after two days of recovery but in a clearly negative week since Brent oil, the benchmark in Europe, fails to reach the $60 level again. Specifically, it fell 0.30% and stood at $59.64, while the American West Texas fell 0.45% to $55.75.