European shares clocked their 10th straight weekly gain on Friday, continuing their strong run in the new year though sentiment was shaky towards the end of the week amid trade tariff threats from US president Donald Trump.
Dublin
The market ended the week on a high, gaining a little over 1 per cent as banking stocks and heavyweights such as Kerry and Glanbia showed gains on the day.
The Euronext Dublin finished the session at 10,982.98, outperforming some of its European peers.
Publican Noel Anderson on Grand Slam Bars, taking on Guinness and the rising price of a pint
AIB and PTSB both showed gains, with the latter adding 4.76 per cent and AIB adding almost 3 per cent by the closing bell. Bank of Ireland was lower, shedding 0.4 per cent to close at €11.34, while insurer FBD was flat.
Electricity bills: What are your options for cheaper deals as prices surge?
The Irish Times Business Person of the Month: Stephen Garvey, Glenveagh
The latest housing crisis ‘solutions’: Which could work and which are hare-brained?
‘Different currency, same people.’ All-island market offers opportunity and challenges on both sides of the Border
Glanbia recovered almost 2.6 per cent after a post-results sell-off to finish the week at €11.08, while Kerry Group was 1.35 per cent up over the session. Construction stocks also gained, with Glenveagh and Cairn Homes rising, while shares in insulation specialist Kingspan were also 0.7 per cent stronger.
Travel stocks were mixed, with Ryanair gaining 0.48 per cent and Dalata Hotels up 1 per cent. But ferries group Irish Continental lost almost 2.4 per cent, ending the week at €4.92.
London
The UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 share index posted its highest close on record on Friday, buoyed by positive corporate earnings including from Aer Lingus and British Airways parent IAG, while a slump in Morgan Advanced Materials after a bleak outlook weighed on the mid-cap index.
The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 finished 0.6 per cent higher, also helped by a weaker pound, to end February 1.5 per cent higher after a 6 per cent rise in January.
British engineering firm IMI rose 6.2 per cent, the biggest gainer on the index, after hiking its dividend 10 per cent and announcing a new share buyback plan.
IAG shares rose 4 per cent to their highest in five years after annual operating profit surged an estimate-beating 27 per cent and the company announced a share buyback.
Britain’s biggest property portal Rightmove gained 4.3 per cent after forecasting bigger revenue growth in 2025.
Europe
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was flat on the Friday session but closed higher for the week and extended its longest winning streak since early 2024.
Technology stocks led declines with a 1.5 per cent loss, following a sell-off on Thursday in US AI darling Nvidia after its earnings report.
Mining stocks followed with a 0.7 per cent decline, tracking lower prices of gold and copper, pressured by a strong dollar and Trump’s tariff plans.
Valeo slumped 11.2 per cent to the bottom of the Stoxx 600 after the car parts supplier reported annual results. Chief executive Christophe Perillat said he saw a marginal impact on earnings from US tariffs on steel and aluminium.
Italian payments group Nexis topped the continent-wide index with a 9 per cent gain after it posted a rise in 2024 core profit.
New York
Wall Street’s main indices rose in choppy trading on Friday, rebounding from several sessions of declines, while a dip in treasury yields further aided risk-taking after data showed inflation rose as expected last month.
[ Fractious Oval office meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy Opens in new window ]
At 4:30pm Irish time, the Dow Jones was ahead 198.90 points, or 0.46 per cent, on 43,438.40, the S&P 500 gained 23.69 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 5,885.26 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 72.89 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 18,615.92.
Nvidia bounced back 1.1 per cent after an 8.5 per cent slide in the previous session, after the chip giant issued a weaker-than-expected quarterly gross margin forecast.
Dell lost 5.8 per cent as the PC maker forecast a decline in its adjusted gross margin rate for fiscal 2026. Peer HP fell 6.8 per cent after its quarterly profit forecasts missed expectations. – Additional reporting: Reuters
