European equities ended Thursday’s session mixed, mirroring trends in North America, as steep losses in AI infrastructure names and major lenders offset gains in other sectors. The Euro STOXX 50 slipped 0.4%, while the STOXX Europe 600 edged up 0.3% to 640. Industrial production in the Eurozone unexpectedly contracted sharply in August, heightening concerns that the bloc’s economy is beginning to feel the cumulative strain of higher energy prices, elevated interest rates, and a surge in cheap Chinese exports. The latter has prompted several leading economies to lobby in Brussels for new tariffs and quotas.
In the technology space, ASML fell 4.2% and Infineon lost 5.2%, tracking a global pullback in semiconductor stocks after Anthropic reported slower revenue growth. In financials, Nordea slumped 7.8% as weaker quarterly profits led the bank to suspend its share buyback program. Offsetting some of the pressure, shares of L’Oreal, SAP, Rheinmetall, and Wolters Kluwer advanced, each gaining as much as 4.5%.
