European Stocks Settle On Mixed Note

FRANKFURT, Jan 13 (Bernama-dpa-AFX) -- European stocks ended mixed on Monday after struggling to find support earlier in the session, as concerns over Middle East tensions and the Federal Reserve’s independence weighed on sentiment, reported dpa-AFX.

According to reports, United States (US) President Donald Trump is weighing options to take action against Iran. Citing US officials, several media outlets said Trump has been shown plans ranging from possible military strikes to action that doesn't include the military.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Sunday that Federal prosecutors' opening a criminal investigation related to his Senate Banking Committee testimony on the renovation of Fed office buildings was another attempt by the US President to influence the Central Bank's monetary policy.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 gained 0.21 per cent. The United Kingdom (UK)'s FTSE 100 climbed 0.16 per cent and Germany's DAX ended 0.57 per cent up, while France's CAC 40 edged down 0.04 per cent. Switzerland's SMI crept up 0.04 per cent.

Among other markets in Europe, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey closed higher. Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Portugal and Russia ended weak, while Austria and Ireland closed flat.

In economic news, a survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and KPMG showed hiring by UK employers dropped in December due to rising costs and weak sentiment following the government's raising taxes in November.

Eurozone investor confidence improved to a six-month high in January, a survey conducted by the behavioural research institute Sentix showed.

The Sentix investor confidence rose more than expected to -1.8 in January from -6.2 in December. The score was forecast to rise moderately to -5.1. The improvement was driven by the expectations index, which rose to 10.0 from 4.8.

Meanwhile, the assessment of the current situation remained subdued at -13.0. Nonetheless, the indicator showed an upward trend, the think tank noted.

"In Germany, there is a small silver lining on the horizon at the start of the year," Sentix said. The investor sentiment index posted -16.4, better than -22.7 in December. Moreover, this was the highest level since August 2025. 

--BERNAMA-dpa-AFX