European Stocks Subdued On Final Trading Session; Major Markets Post Strong Gains In 2025

Market Overview - The mood in the markets remained cautious due to New Year's Eve closures, with traders largely sidelined ahead of the holiday [1] - U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended down by 0.09%, France's CAC 40 settled lower by 0.23%, and the pan European Stoxx 600 edged down 0.08% [1] Yearly Performance - The CAC 40 gained over 10% in the year, while DAX jumped over 22% and U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 21.6%, marking the strongest performance since 2009 [2] - Switzerland's SMI advanced nearly 15% [2] Company Performance - In the U.K. market, companies such as Pershing Square Holdings, Anglo American Plc, Marks & Spencer, British Land, and 3i Group gained between 0.5% to 1.1% [2] - Conversely, Fresnillo and Croda International closed lower by 2.3% and 2.2%, respectively, with other companies like Beazley, Experian, Diploma, Antofagasta, Ashtead Group, and Schroders also ending notably lower [3] - In the French market, Stellantis, TotalEnergies, Societe Generale, Publicis Groupe, Unibail Rodamco, Capgemini, Bouygues, and AXA closed weak, while LVMH, Kering, Accor, STMicroElectronics, and Edenred closed higher [3]