European shares edge higher ahead of key central bank decisions
Source: Live Mint
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March 20 (Reuters) – European shares nudged higher on Thursday, supported by real estate and energy stocks, as investors braced for a series of interest rate decisions by major central banks across the continent.
The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.2%, as of 0815 GMT, set to extend its four-session winning streak.
The Bank of England is likely to keep interest rates on hold later in the day, as it waits to assess the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and the British government’s impending tax hike for employers.
The Riksbank is also expected to maintain rates at the current levels, while the Swiss National Bank is poised to cut rates by a quarter-percentage point.
The U.S. Federal Reserve stood pat on its policy rates on Wednesday.
The real estate sub-index was the biggest gainer, rising 0.7% on Thursday, as euro zone government bond yields fell. It was followed by the oil and gas index, which added 0.6%.
Shares of Sodexo dropped 12.7% after the French food caterer lowered its 2025 outlook, citing slower-than-expected organic growth in North America.
The stock weighed down the travel and leisure index, which dropped 0.5%, making it the worst performer in early trading.
Lanxess fell 5.3% after the chemicals maker flagged that lacklustre growth and a high likelihood of politically triggered economic turbulence will impact its 2025 results.
(Reporting by Nikhil Sharma; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
