European Stocks Close On Firm Note

Market Performance - European stocks closed higher, with the pan European Stoxx 600 climbing 0.58% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 increasing by 1.18% [1] - Several European markets, including Austria, Belgium, and Spain, also recorded gains, while Iceland, Ireland, Poland, and Russia ended weak [2] Company Highlights - Next Plc shares surged 5% after upgrading profit guidance, forecasting after-tax earnings of 738.8 pence per share, driven by a more than 10% surge in sales in December [3] - In the UK market, Fresnillo climbed about 5%, while AstraZeneca, Burberry Group, and several others gained between 3% to 5% [2] - JD Sports Fashion drifted down 4.4%, and Adidas ended lower by about 4.2% following a rating downgrade by Bank of America [4] Sector Performance - In the German market, Daimler Truck Holding gained 5.3%, and Infineon moved up 5% [4] - In France, EssilorLuxottica gained more than 5%, while Edenred and Kering ended higher by about 4.3% and 4%, respectively [5] - Polish parcel locker company shares soared more than 28% after announcing an indicative buyout offer [6] Economic Indicators - The HCOB Composite PMI in Germany decreased to 51.3 in December from 52.4 in November [6] - France's inflation eased to a seven-month low in December, with the consumer price index logging an annual increase of 0.8% [7] - EU harmonized inflation slowed unexpectedly in December to 0.7% from 0.8% in November [8]