Major European markets opened higher on Thursday following a downturn on Wall Street. On the data side, Switzerland's Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) revealed that the trade surplus amounted to 3.54 billion Swiss francs in March.
Meanwhile, on the corporate front, Nokia presented its business results for the first quarter of 2024, declaring losses in net sales, down 19% year over year. Finally, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) revealed that passenger car sales dropped by 5.2% in March.
At 9:01 am CET, the French benchmark CAC 40 added 0.37%, while Edenred improved by 3.19%. London's FTSE 100 rose 0.42%, as National Grid advanced by 2.81%. A minute later, the DAX gained 0.22%, with Henkel VZO up by 1.66%. The Euro Stoxx 50 opened with a gain of 0.41%, while Schneider Electric rallied 3.19%.
At 8:58 am CET, the euro and the British pound were up 0.12% and 0.14% against the dollar, selling for $1.06854 and $1.24717, respectively.
