European Stocks Close Mostly Higher Monday Despite France, Spain Political Strains
MT newswire2026/10/05 16:0312:03 PM EDT, 10/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European stocks closed mostly higher Monday as investors tracked global bond yields, political developments in France and Spain, and oil prices. The Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.4%, Germany's DAX 40 rose 0.1%, the FTSE 100 and the Swiss Market Index each advanced 0.3%, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.8%. French sovereign 10-year bond yields hovered near 5% amid debt concerns and perceived political gridlock ahead of the 2027 presidential election. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a snap election amid protests over housing costs. Growth in the eurozone economy continued to accelerate in September with private sector business activity rising at the fastest rate in more than three years, S&P Global Market Intelligence said. The Composite PMI Output Index increased to 53.1 from 52.0 in August. In corporate news, UBS engaged with Nordea Bank over exiting Switzerland or potentially facing a new law that could compel it to hold up to $16 billion in additional equity, Bloomberg reported Friday. Shares of UBS gained 1.1% in Zurich. Ares Management (ARES) is seeking a multimillion-pound upfront payment from BT Group in exchange for supporting a potential takeover of struggling broadband provider TalkTalk, Sky News reported. Shares of BT rose 1.6% in London. Eni (E) and Repsol SA are weighing selling part of their stakes in the Perla natural gas field off Venezuela's coast to external investors, Bloomberg reported. Shares of Eni advanced 0.7% in Milan. BP CEO Meg O'Neill said the company adjusted refinery operations to maximize diesel production after prices surged. Shares of the oil and gas company increased 1% in London.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
The Reality of AI Agentic Payments in 2026
Exchange-Traded Funds Mixed, US Equities Rise After Midday
01:09 PM EDT, 10/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Broad Market Indicators Broad-market exchange-traded fund IWM fell and IVV edged higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 0.7%. US equity indexes rose as big-tech names helped the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit fresh all-time highs intraday amid declining government bond yields and crude oil. Energy IShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) were each up about 0.8%. Technology The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) gained 0.8%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) added 0.7%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was 0.8% higher. The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) climbed 1.4%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 0.6%. Financial The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) added 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 0.5%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 0.4%. Commodities Crude oil rose 0.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 0.3%. Natural gas gained 1.3%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 1.2%. Gold on Comex gained 0.7%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was up 0.4%. Silver rose 0.5%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) gained 0.3%. Consumer The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) was 1% higher, and the Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 1.1%. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) added 1.1%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was up 1%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) edged up 0.3%. Healthcare The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) slipped 0.1%, while iShares US Healthcare (IYH) shed 0.2%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) fell 0.4%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) declined 2.1%. Industrial The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) added 1.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) rose 1.1%, and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) gained 1.1%. Cryptocurrency In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) shed
Resend-BUZZ-Reports say Venture Global is in negotiations with China over liquefied natural gas sales, and its stock price has surged in response.
Correction of company name spelling in the headline October 6 - Venture Global (VG.N), a liquefied natural gas producer, saw its share price rise by 2.3% to $13.77. According to Bloomberg, disruptions in global transportation caused by the situation in Iran have prompted China to seek diversified supply sources, and Venture Global is in talks to sell liquefied natural gas to more Chinese buyers (link). Venture Global has not immediately responded to a request for comment from Reuters. Bloomberg (link) reported that Venture Global has held preliminary negotiations on long-term contracts with at least three Chinese LNG importers. Out of 18 brokerages, 11 have rated the stock as "buy" or higher, and 7 have rated it as "hold". The median target price is $16. Including intraday fluctuations, VG’s share price has more than doubled so far this year. (For the convenience of non-native English speakers, Reuters provides automated translations of its reports into several other languages. As automated translations may contain errors or fail to convey the desired context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translation texts, which are provided solely to assist readers. Reuters accepts no responsibility for any damages or losses caused by the use of automated translation functions.)
US Dollar Index slips from its 18-month high
Crypto prices
More
