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: Stoxx takes a pause after record highs

(Sharecast News) - European stocks ended their rally with a slightly lower open on Friday, as traders and investors digested a raft of interest rate decisions and dovish comments from policy makers which drove new record highs for the benchmark Stoxx index. The index was down 0.15% at 509.03 in early deals. The US Federal Reserve indicated it was still on track for three cuts this year, while the Bank of England held rates steady and also suggested it would cut in the future in inflation was under control and the Swiss National Bank surprised everyone with a reduction.

With little economic or corporate news out there was little to drive sentiment. In Britain retail sales were flat in February as fuel and food saw declines, in part due to the bad weather, according to data released on Friday.

In equity news, Phoenix Group surged after releasing results and said it would target $1.77bn in operating cash by 2026.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Europe close: Carmakers drive markets lower as earnings disappoint
(Sharecast News) - European stock markets finished with heavy losses on Tuesday, with the exception of the UK's FTSE 100, with positive eurozone GDP data failing to lift the mood following some disappointing corporate results from some the region's heavy hitters.
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.

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.