European shares hit over 1-month high on easing inflation

PARIS: Europe’s benchmark STOXX 600 climbed to a more than one-month high on Wednesday, as investors cheered slowing inflation in major economies, bolstering bets of an end to central banks’ policy tightening.

The pan-European STOXX 600 closed 0.4% higher, while Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.6%.

Just a day after a benign US inflation report supported views that the US Federal Reserve may be done with raising rates, fresh data showed British inflation also cooled more than expected in October.

“The better inflation picture being painted by both UK and the US suggest that we may start to see a fundamental shift in investment decisions, with the worst now potentially being over for both bonds and equities,” said Stuart Cole, head macro economist at Equiti Capital.

Meanwhile, German wholesale prices had their sharpest fall in almost three-and-a-half years in October, another sign of easing inflationary pressures in Europe’s largest economy.

Also boosting sentiment was data showing better-than-expected industrial output and retail sales growth for top metals consumer China in October and a report of fresh stimulus.

Interest rate-sensitive technology stocks jumped 2.1%, while miners gained 1.5% tracking metal prices.

German chip manufacturer Infineon rallied 9.7% after higher-than-expected revenue for 2023.

Siemens Energy said it may exit some markets and products of its struggling wind turbine business, lifting its shares 8.8%.

Germany’s DAX climbed 0.9%, outpacing other regional markets.

China-exposed luxury stocks including Kering, LVMH and Richemont rose more than 1% each, with the sector gaining 1.0% to a near two-month high.

Experian jumped 7.5% after the world’s largest credit data company reported a higher half-year profit.

Meanwhile, Alstom fell 15% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after the train maker said it would cut jobs, sell assets, consider a capital increase and propose paying no dividend for the current fiscal year.

Swiss eye-care company Alcon fell 5.4% after posting lower-than-expected third-quarter sales and narrowing its full-year outlook.

Of the STOXX 600 companies that have reported third-quarter earnings to date, 55.4% topped expectations, LSEG data showed.

Also on the data front, France’s third-quarter unemployment rate edged up faster than expected to 7.4%, which Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire blamed on slower economic growth.

Investors will now monitor inflation data out of the euro zone, which is due on Friday.