On the economic front, investor sentiment in the Eurozone improved slightly, with the Sentix index rising to -6.2 in December from -7.4 in the previous month. In Germany, industrial production recorded a higher-than-expected increase of 1.8% month-on-month in October and 0.8% year-on-year, the first consecutive growth since the beginning of 2024. In contrast, UK data showed a “mixed” labor market with weakness in permanent employment and continued wage pressures.
Sectorally, defense stocks received support from geopolitical uncertainty, leading to gains for companies such as Rheinmetall by 3.76%, Renk by 6.62%, and Hensoldt by 2.48%. Semiconductor equipment stocks such as BE Semiconductor, ASM International, and ASML also made strong gains thanks to momentum from artificial intelligence.
In contrast, Unilever’s stock fell by 6.69% after its separated ice cream unit (“Magnum” and others) began trading in Amsterdam at an initial price lower than the reference price, before the new company’s shares rose by 1.33%. L’Oréal also fell by 1.99% after raising its stake in Swiss skincare company Galderma to 20%.
