European Stocks Closed Broadly Higher On Easing Geopolitical Tensions, Some Positive Data

Market Overview - European stocks closed broadly higher, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 climbing 0.49% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 gaining 0.54% [3] - Positive sentiment was supported by easing geopolitical concerns, particularly regarding Iran, and upbeat earnings updates from TSMC [1][3] Company Performance - 3i Group soared more than 10% in the UK market, while Schroders increased nearly 10% after projecting annual profits for 2025 to exceed market expectations [3][4] - Other notable gainers included Smiths Group (4.2%), Persimmon (4.1%), and LondonMetric Property (3.7%) [4] - In contrast, Burberry Group, AstraZeneca, GSK, and several others ended notably lower [5] Economic Data - Germany's GDP expanded by 0.2% in 2025, rebounding from a 0.5% contraction in 2024, although manufacturing output continued to decline [7] - Germany's wholesale prices rose 1.2% year-on-year in December 2025, easing from a 1.5% growth in the previous month [8] - France's inflation weakened slightly at the end of the year, with the consumer price index showing an annual increase of 0.8% [9] - The UK's GDP logged a monthly growth of 0.3% in November, reversing a 0.1% drop in October [10]