European equities ended Thursday’s session little changed, extending the subdued tone of the previous two days as worries over energy-driven inflation offset upbeat corporate news. The Euro STOXX 50 finished flat at 6,268, while the STOXX Europe 600 also closed unchanged at 643.
Luxury stocks advanced, building on the strong earnings from Richemont reported on Wednesday. LVMH and Hermès each gained about 1.5%. Advertising giant Publicis climbed 3% after raising its full-year guidance.
In contrast, rising natural gas prices put pressure on utilities and added to uncertainty for energy-intensive AI infrastructure producers and operators. Enel, Schneider Electric, and Siemens Energy fell between 1.5% and 2.5%. Among energy producers, TotalEnergies slipped 1.5% after an earnings preview signaled that second-quarter profit should benefit from higher oil prices, but also warned of a sharp decline in LNG earnings.
