FX.co ★ European Stocks Lack Direction

European stocks experienced minimal movement on Thursday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 remaining near their previous levels, taking a breather following gains made the day before. Market participants were eagerly awaiting fresh catalysts as they assessed a new set of corporate earnings reports. ASML Holding rose by 1.5%, marking its fourth consecutive day of gains. Meanwhile, Nestlé surged 7.5% after disclosing a 3.3% increase in organic sales for the first nine months of 2025 and revealing plans to cut 16,000 jobs. Sartorius saw its shares soar by 11% following an enhancement in its guidance, and Pernod Ricard rose 0.6% despite experiencing a 7.6% decrease in organic sales. On the negative side, Investor AB experienced a 0.5% decline after publishing results that fell short of market expectations, and Whitbread dropped 7% after reporting revenue and profit declines. Additionally, traders were keeping a careful eye on the political developments in France, as Prime Minister Lecornu was anticipated to survive two no-confidence votes after agreeing to suspend a contentious pension reform in order to retain support in the National Assembly.