European Markets Close with Mixed Signals and Tight Movements

European stock markets opened the Christmas week with moderate losses and subdued trading activity, as investors appear to have all but closed the books for the year.

Among the few macroeconomic indicators released today, Spain’s third-quarter GDP growth was confirmed at 0.8%, matching the pace of the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the UK economy showed no growth, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revising its initial estimate downward by 0.1 percentage points. In the US, The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for December dropped to 104.7, below both November’s figure (111.7) and forecasts (112.9).

Ibex Performance

Last week, the Fed’s announcement of fewer-than-expected rate cuts for 2025 triggered market sell-offs on Thursday, though European markets recovered slightly on Friday. The Spanish market stood out by avoiding losses, with the Ibex closing Friday with a modest gain of 0.24%, though it ended the week down 2.4%.

Today, selling pressure returned, albeit at a moderate level, with the Ibex shedding 0.28% to close at 11,435.70 points.

Other European Indices

Elsewhere in Europe, major indices remained near their opening levels in a session lacking significant drivers. The German DAX slipped 0.18%, while the French CAC (-0.03%) and Italian MIB (-0.08%) were nearly flat. The UK’s FTSE 100 bucked the trend, posting a 0.22% gain.

Bond Markets

In the bond market, yields continued to climb. The Spanish 10-year bond yield surpassed 3%, while Germany’s Bund yield hovered around 2.30%. In the US, the 10-year Treasury yield solidified its position above 4.50%.

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Ignacio Teson
Ignacio Teson
Economist and Financial Analyst
Ignacio Teson is an Economist and Financial Analyst. He has more than 7 years of experience in emerging markets. He worked as an analyst and market operator at brokerage firms in Argentina and Spain.
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