European equities closed higher on Thursday, lifted by a run of positive corporate earnings and easing expectations for further interest-rate increases by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Frankfurt led major bourses with a 0.7% gain, while Paris, Madrid and Milan also advanced. London lagged, weighed down by selling in mining and energy stocks.
In Milan, Nexi returned to the spotlight with a 3.7% rise as investors tracked moves by CDP Equity, which is reportedly advancing a plan to raise its stake in the payments group to 29.9%. Stellantis and Avio also gained ground. BFF Bank is in talks with investors including Pacific Investment Management and Pollen Street Capital to sell the riskiest tranches of a €1.2 billion non-performing loan portfolio.
In the U.S., Workday surged on Wall Street amid reports of a possible acquisition by private equity firm Silver Lake. The Stoxx 600 index edged up 0.05% to 659.65 points in Friday trading, with technology leading sector gains.