A Renault car showroom
TonyBaggett | iStock Editorial | Getty Images
LONDON — European stocks moved lower on Thursday as investors weighed earnings from Airbus, Renault, and Nestle, amongst others.
The regional Stoxx 600 finished the session 0.6% lower, with the region’s major bourses ending the day in negative territory.
It was another busy day of earnings on Thursday with Nestle, Rio Tinto, Zurich Insurance, and Renault among the European companies reporting.
Airbus shares dropped about 7% after it said on Thursday that it expects to deliver 870 commercial aircraft in 2026, slightly fewer than the roughly 880 analysts had expected. It comes as pressure is building for the European plane manufacturer, with U.S. rival Boeing showing signs of recovery after years of crisis.
French carmaker Renault’s revenue for 2025 was up 3% to 57.9 billion euros ($68 billion), but net income dropped significantly to a loss of 10.9 billion euros with CEO François Provost citing a “challenging market environment” last year. Net income was affected by a one-off charge from Renault’s investment in Nissan. Renault’s shares ended the day about 3% lower.
Nestle’s 2025 sales came in at 89.49 billion Swiss franc, down 2% from 91.35 billion Swiss franc in the previous year. Net profit dropped 17% to 9 billion Swiss franc. The company’s organic growth stood at 3.5% for the year.
The Swiss food giant said it is in advanced negotiations to sell its ice cream business to Haagen-Dazs owner Froneri. This comes after the company recalled baby formula that contained toxins last month. Nestle’s shares advanced roughly 4%.
Global market sentiment is also in focus. U.S. stocks were trading lower on Thursday, with the S&P 500 last seen down about 0.5%. The major averages posted a winning session Wednesday, buoyed by gains across the “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks and strength in financials and energy names.
Investors stateside also weighed minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting, which reflected a divide among central bank officials on the future outlook for monetary policy.
Oil prices were seen 2% higher on Thursday, after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that Iran did not address core U.S. demands in nuclear talks this week. He said that President Donald Trump maintains the right to use military force if diplomatic efforts do not stop Iran’s nuclear program.
In Asia-Pacific markets overnight, stocks traded higher, with several bourses in the region returning from the Lunar New Year holiday.
— CNBC’s Pia Singh contributed to this market report.
