Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Europe open: Shares higher on final trading day of 2023

(Sharecast News) - European shares opened higher on the last trading day of the year amid thin volumes and no real corporate news of note to drive trading. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.27% at 479.36 with all major bourses higher after a mixed session in Asia.

Crude oil prices moved slightly higher after a fall in US inventories. Brent crude was trading just above $77 a barrel, still well below levels of the last two years despite geopolitical tensions and production cuts by major suppliers.

"The price has whipsawed this year as expectations of sluggish demand, inventory build ups and conflicts in key locations all amalgamated into volatility. The overall theme of the year though seems to indicate that heat has come out of the price for now - but that can change at very short notice," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates.

In economic news, UK house prices fell by a higher-than-expected 1.8% year on year in December, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Friday.

Expectations were for a 1.4% fall. Prices remained flat on a monthly basis.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Broker tips: Marlowe, Fevertree
(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg slightly lowered their target price on software and services firm Marlowe from 720.0p to 710.0p on Tuesday but said the group's divestment of certain Governance, Risk and Compliance software and service assets had left it with a "much cleaner and simpler-to-understand equity story".
Director dealings: Tracsis non-executive director makes share purchase
(Sharecast News) - Tracsis revealed on Tuesday that non-executive director Ross Paterson acquired 4,814 ordinary shares in the AIM-listed software technology firm.
FTSE 100 movers: HSBC gains; Prudential in the red
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was up 0.3% at 8,172.34 in afternoon trade on Tuesday.
US open: Stocks trade lower as traders look ahead to outcome of FOMC meeting
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street stocks registered early losses on Tuesday as market participants looked ahead to the outcome of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting and digested more mega-cap earnings.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.