European equities edged higher on Tuesday, lifted by a slew of corporate results, while investors mulled over the new trade deal outline between Washington and Brussels. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed up 0.33 per cent.
DUBLIN
The Iseq All-Share index closed up just 0.03 per cent to 11,626.82.
Bank of Ireland fell despite raising its net interest income forecast on Tuesday as investors baulked at a spike in bad loan provisions. Its shares slumped 4.54 per cent, weighing down the index and the sector.
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In a mixed day for the banks, AIB led the gains, rising 1.39 per cent to €6.93 and Permanent TSB fell 0.98 per cent.
Mincon, the small cap engineering tools group, performed strongly on the day, rising 2.63 per cent to €0.39 and healthcare services group Uniphar topped the index rising 3.43 per cent.
Greencoat Renewables weighed down the index, falling 2.38 per cent and Kenmare Resources dropped 2.2 per cent.
LONDON
The FTSE 100 ticked up slightly, adding 0.6 per cent, rising to 9,136.32.
Heavyweight bank stocks advanced 1.5 per cent, tracking gains in European peers. Barclays gained 2.8 per cent after the British lender’s first-half profit rose by a better-than-expected 23 per cent.
Bankers Standard Chartered announced that they have signed a deal to use Alibaba Cloud’s technologies for the use of Artificial Intelligence financial sector. The stock gained 2.32 per cent.
Pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca beat its second-quarter profit forecasts buoyed by sales of cancer, heart and kidney disease drugs and strong demand in the US. The stock added 3.41 per cent.
The company behind the Warhammer games franchise, Games Workshop surged 5.44 per cent to top the FTSE 100 index. The miniature wargames maker reported a nearly 30 per cent jump in annual pre-tax profit.
Entain rose 1.04 per cent after the company’s U.S. sports-betting joint venture with MGM Resorts called BetMGM raised its full-year 2025 revenue and core earnings forecast.
Chemical company Croda International fell to the bottom of the index, closing down 10.38 per cent after reporting first-half sales below estimates. Sneaker and sport fashion retailer JD Sports fell 1.98 per cent
EUROPE
The European benchmark rose 0.33 per cent on the day.
Franco-Italian eyewear group EssilorLuxottica shares jumped 6.9 per cent after the company reported an increase in first-half operating profit despite a tariff hit.
Dutch company Philips rose 9.28 per cent after the healthcare technology group lowered its tariff impact estimates following the U.S.-EU trade deal.
Defense stocks Rheinmetall and Hensoldt were among the winners on the day, adding 3.46 per cent and 3.12 per cent respectively
Gains were cut limited by big losses including obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk which cut its full-year sales and operating profit forecasts for the second time this year amid competition from US brands. Shares fell 23.11 per cent.
NEW YORK
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq slipped from record highs in mid-afternoon trading on Tuesday as a series of downbeat earnings weighed on the indexes, while investors looked ahead to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting later in the day.
Quarterly results from key Dow components UnitedHealth and Boeing failed to impress investors. Health insurer UnitedHealth fell after a disappointing profit forecast, while Boeing fell despite reporting a smaller second-quarter loss.
UnitedHealth’s stock has lost nearly half its value from the beginning of 2025. On the day, the healthcare index fell.
Whirlpool sank after the home appliances maker slashed its annual earnings forecast and dividend, citing tariff-centric pressures.
The US central bank is set to begin its two-day policy meeting later in the day. While the Fed is expected to leave rates unchanged on Wednesday, traders will closely analyze policymakers’ remarks to gauge the timing of future moves.
According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets are pricing in about a 61.6 per cent chance of a rate cut in September.– Additional reporting, Reuters, PA.
