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European markets close higher; tech stocks sink 2.5% on weak U.S. earnings

Elliot Smith

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets.

LONDON — European markets closed higher on Thursday as investors assessed the implications of some big U.S. corporate results and the start of earnings season at home.

European markets


The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.4% higher, with tech stocks ending the session 2.5% lower on the back of weak U.S. earnings while mining stocks added 1.5%.

The European blue chip index closed the previous session up 0.3%, with Britain's FTSE 100 jumping 1.8% as the British pound and U.K. bond yields fell sharply on the back of cooler-than-expected inflation data.

Markets in Asia-Pacific were mixed as investors digested a slew of economic data across the region. Japan's Nikkei 225 led losses after the country posted a surprise trade surplus of 43 billion yen ($308 million), its first surplus in 23 months.

Stateside, U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday, with the Nasdaq 0.1% lower in morning trade following a disappointing set of tech earnings. Shares of Netflix sank Wednesday after the company missed second-quarter earnings expectations.

Tesla shares also retreated in extended trading after CEO Elon Musk and other executives told an earnings call to expect a slowdown in vehicle production in the third quarter.

Back in Europe, earnings before the bell came from Sweden's Volvo Car, Germany's SAP, France's Publicis, U.K. carrier EasyJet, Finland's Nokia and Switzerland's ABB and Givaudan.

U.S. stocks open mixed

U.S. stocks opened mixed Thursday as investors digested the latest set of corporate earnings reports, including from Netflix and Tesla.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% in early deals while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite moved lower, sliding 0.1% and 0.5%, respectively.

— Karen Gilchrist

Stocks on the move: Fresenius up 7%, Electrolux down 20%

German healthcare company Fresenius Medical Care jumped 7% in afternoon deals to hit the top of the Stoxx 600, after U.S. rival Pfizer reported tornado damage at one of its facilities in North Carolina.

Shares of London-listed Hikma Pharmaceuticals also rose over 7% on the news.

At the other end of the European benchmark, Swedish home appliance manufacturer Electrolux slid further, falling 20% after missing second-quarter earnings expectations.

— Karen Gilchrist

Wheat futures keep rising amid Ukraine export concerns

Wheat futures continued to rise Thursday after Russia fired weapons at Ukrainian port cities and storage infrastructure for a third day in the wake of its withdrawal from negotiations over a Black Sea export deal.

Chicago wheat contracts with September expiry were up 2.65% to a just over three-week high at 9:44 a.m. London time, after an 8% spike Wednesday.

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Wheat futures September expiry.

— Jenni Reid

Stocks on the move: Electrolux, Essity down 8%; Hikma up 7%

Shares of Swedish health and hygiene products company Essity and home appliance manufacturer Electrolux both fell more than 8% in early trade after missing second-quarter earnings expectations.

At the top of the Stoxx 600, shares of British pharmaceutical company Hikma rose 7%.

— Elliot Smith

Cautious open for Europe as tech stocks sink on U.S. earnings

The pan-European Stoxx 600 opened 0.2% lower on Thursday, with tech stocks dropping 2% on the back of weak earnings stateside, while mining stocks added 0.8%.

European tech stocks followed their U.S. counterparts lower in early trade. Nasdaq 100 futures slid in after-hours trading Wednesday evening as Netflix missed second-quarter earnings expectations, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other executives told an earnings call to expect a slowdown in vehicle production in the third quarter.

— Elliot Smith

German producer prices inch higher year on year in June

German producer prices rose by 0.1% year on year in June, the federal statistics office said Thursday, slightly exceeding analyst expectations of no annual change.

Here are the opening calls in Europe

Britain's FTSE 100 is seen around 2 points higher at 7,590, Germany's DAX is expected to open around 2 points lower at 16,107 and France's CAC 40 is set to add around 5 points to 7,332.

— Elliot Smith

China state-owned banks buying yuan to slow declines: Reuters

China's major state-owned banks were seen selling dollars to buy yuan in the offshore spot market in early trades on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Citing two people "with direct knowledge of the matter", Reuters said one of the sources also revealed that such moves was meant to slow the pace of yuan declines.

The offshore yuan strengthened 0.66% on afternoon, trading at 7.1839 against the greenback.

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