The composite index of the largest enterprises in the region Stoxx Europe 600 decreased by 0.23%, to 409.47 points.
The British FTSE 100 indicator lost 0.11%, the German DAX - 0.56%, the French CAC 40 - 0.36%, the Italian FTSE MIB - 0.15%, the Spanish IBEX 35 - 0.44%.
Irish paper packaging maker Smurfit Kappa gained 2.4%. The company increased its pre-tax profit in 2020 to 748 million euros ($ 906.6 million) from 677 million euros a year earlier. Smurfit Kappa's EBITDA fell to 1.51 billion euros from 1.65 billion euros, but exceeded the company's forecast. Smurfit Kappa raised its dividend to 87.4 eurocents per share from 80.9 eurocents.
Societe Generale SA added 2.9%. Net profit of the French bank in October-December fell by 28%, to 470 million euros. Experts on average predicted this figure at 318 million euros. The bank announced on Wednesday the launch of a € 470 million share buyback program in the 4th quarter of 2021. Societe Generale will pay dividends for 2020 in the amount of 0.55 euros per share, and in 2021 it plans to return 50% of its operating profit to shareholders.
Meanwhile, the market value of ABN Amro Bank NV decreased by 1.5%. Net profit of the Dutch bank in October-December amounted to 54 million euros, compared with 316 million euros in the same period last year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet predicted an average of 17.9 million euros.
The price of securities of the Danish transport and logistics company A.P. Moeller-Maersk A / S fell 6.8%. In the 4th quarter of 2020, Maersk posted a net profit of $ 1.3 billion, compared with a net loss of $ 72 million a year earlier. However, analysts were expecting a profit of $ 1.39 billion.
Air Liquide SA shares fell 2%, although the company's net profit in 2020 increased by 8.6% to 2.44 billion euros. Analysts had expected the figure at the level of 2.35 billion euros. Revenue declined 1.3% but exceeded forecast. Air Liquide raised its dividend by 1.9% to 2.75 euros per share.
Investors continue to monitor the process of adopting new measures to support the US economy. Democrats from the US House of Representatives on Monday unveiled the first draft of the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package proposed by US President Joe Biden.
Consumer prices in Germany, harmonized with EU standards, rose 1.6% in January 2021 on an annualized basis, final data from the country's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) show. Monthly inflation was 1.4%. The dynamics of both indicators coincided with the preliminary announced data and the average forecasts of analysts surveyed by Trading Economics.
The volume of industrial production in France in December 2020 fell by 0.8% compared to the previous month after falling by 0.7% in November, according to data from the French statistics agency Insee. Analysts had expected growth of industrial production in the month before last by 0.2%.
