An oil pumpjack is in operation at the Inglewood Oil Field near Los Angeles, California, on March 10, 2026.
Tama Mario | Getty Images
LONDON — European stock markets ended lower on Thursday as investors focused on the Iran war and volatile global oil prices.
pan-european Stocks 600 The underlying sectors were mixed, with shares closing around 0.7% lower.
Chemicals and utilities led the gains, but banks dragged down the index as investors grew concerned about their exposure to the Middle East.
European corporate news
shares of leonardo Shares closed 5.7% higher after the Italian defense giant reported better-than-expected sales of 19.5 billion euros ($22.5 billion) and full-year net profit of 1 billion euros, up 19% from a year earlier.
Leonardo said he expects revenue to rise to about $21 billion this year. The group aims to achieve revenues of 30 billion euros by 2030, with cumulative orders booked over the next five years forecast at 142 billion euros.
Avivax shares ended 6.8% higher after resurfacing rumors of an impending takeover bid to a biotechnology group, which the company denied later in the day.
The French company posted surprisingly strong data in a late-stage trial of its ulcerative colitis drug, making it Europe’s best performer in 2025.
Other German car giants BMW announced on Thursday that its 2025 net profit was more than 7 billion euros, slightly above the consensus forecast compiled by LSEG. However, the company cited “tariff-related burdens” faced by the entire auto sector, which it said would impact the auto segment’s EBIT margin by about 1.25 percentage points this year.
The company’s stock rose 1.3% as the market closed.
in the UK
HSBC Shares fell 6% following the bank’s decision to indefinitely close its Qatar branch, sparking fresh concerns about its exposure to the Middle East.
Wednesday’s decision came after the Iranian government announced it would target economic and banking assets linked to the United States and Israel in the region following attacks on Iranian banks.
Savills announced its $1.1 billion acquisition of US-based real estate investment bank Eastdil Secured, along with a solid full-year earnings report.
The UK-based real estate agent said pre-tax profits rose 11% to 145 million pounds ($194 million) in 2025 as the group revealed its expansion into the US market.
However, Savills’ shares fell modestly on the day, falling 7.2%, as investors digested the details of the deal.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this market report.
