European stocks ended Thursday in positive territory following a raft of mixed economic indicators. The euro area posted a trade surplus of €24 billion in February, while reports suggest that Washington may lower tariffs on China, offering a bright spot amid weaker figures elsewhere.
Eurozone business activity declined in April, with construction output down 0.5% in February, and German composite PMI worsening. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's private sector activity saw a sharper downturn this month.
The DAX added 3.21% at the close, and the Euro Stoxx 50 jumped 2.82%. The best performer in both was SAP, going up 10.62%. The CAC 40 increased by 2.13%, with Eurofins Scientific skyrocketing 12.02%. The FTSE 100 advanced 0.89%, as Croda International went up 8.19%.
The euro traded 0.39% lower than the dollar at 5:28 am CET to go for 1.13778, while the pound lost 0.38% at the same time to sell for 1.32815.