PARIS: European shares ended higher on Thursday after a three-day sell-off as both US Treasury and euro zone bond yields retreated, while a fall in oil prices pushed airline stocks higher.
The STOXX 600 index inched up 0.3% after closing at a six-month low on Wednesday.
Longer-dated US Treasury yields eased from 16-year highs on Thursday, ahead of the much anticipated US monthly non-farm payrolls report on Friday.
Investors will gauge if the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to 5.5-5.75% in November. The odds of such a move currently stand at 21.6%, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Euro zone bond yields also broadly fell, with the US job openings data on Wednesday helping to give some respite to the bond selloff.
Global equities took a hit this week as US and European bond yields surged on bets that interest rates will remain higher for longer, with US economy staying resilient and policymakers claiming rates will not fall anytime soon.
“The concern is that we will slip into recession at some point, regardless of what central bankers do. High yields and oil prices continue to militate against that we can escape a recession,” Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group, said.
Relieving some pressure on stocks, oil prices dipped as an uncertain demand outlook overshadowed an OPEC+ decision to maintain oil output cuts.
The oil & gas index was flat, but the travel & leisure index jumped 1.5% to record its best day in nearly two months, as the prospect of easing fuel costs boosted airline stocks.
Air France KLM climbed 3.8% while British Airways-owner IAG added 2.5%.
Jewellery retailer Pandora jumped 12.0% to one-and-half year highs after it raised its growth targets, saying investments in the brand and store network were paying off. Meanwhile, Alstom tanked 37.6% to a more than 18-year low, erasing 3 billion euros from its market value after the French train manufacturer warned that its full-year free cash flow would be negative due to a ramp-up in production and delays in some orders.
Puma sank 11.45% after analysts said the sportswear company’s third-quarter earnings might miss market expectations due to the impact of a stronger euro against the dollar.
Metro Bank tumbled 25.7% to hit a record low after the mid-sized bank confirmed it was evaluating its options including a potential fundraising, following press reports it was seeking around 600 million pounds.
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