EUROPE MARKETS: European Stocks Clipped By Earnings Reports, Euro Strength
July 27 2017 - 1:20PM
Dow Jones News
By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch
DAX declines as Bayer shares fall on outlook
European stocks ended modestly lower Thursday as investors sent
shares of German lender Deutsche Bank AG down and those for
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA's and Diageo higher amid a barrage of
corporate quarterly results.
The Stoxx Europe 600 closed down 0.1% at 382.32, but spent the
session searching for firm direction, as did major national
indexes. Basic material, industrial and consumer services shares
led the way lower, but telecom, tech and utility stocks
advanced.
Among notable stock moves Thursday, shares of AstraZeneca PLC
(AZN.LN) (AZN.LN) sank 15% as the drug heavyweight said a Phase 3
clinical trial of its Mystic treatment for lung cancer failed to
meet its primary endpoint
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/astrazenecas-mystic-cancer-drug-trial-fails-2017-07-27).
Separately, AstraZeneca swung to a profit, but revenue fell
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/astrazeneca-swings-to-profit-as-revenue-falls-2017-07-27),
in the second quarter
Deutsche Bank shares (DBK.XE) (DBK.XE) stumbled 6.5% as
year-over-year revenue fell in all three business divisions
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/deutsche-bank-profit-up-but-revenue-broadly-falls-2017-07-27)
at Germany's largest lender.
"Revenues were not as universally strong as we would have liked,
in large measure because of muted client activity in many of the
capital markets," Chief Executive John Cryan said in a
statement.
As earnings continued to roll in, the euro spent the bulk of the
session holding around a two-year high above $1.17 against the U.S.
dollar. The dollar had been broadly lower after the U.S. Federal
Reserve late Wednesday struck what was seen as a somewhat cautious
note on U.S. inflation
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dollar-in-holding-pattern-as-investors-wait-for-feds-signals-on-policy-2017-07-26),
which is bearish for the greenback.
A stronger euro can make goods produced by European exporters
more expensive to purchase for overseas clients. But the widely
watched Ifo Institute in Germany on Thursday
(https://www.cesifo-group.de/ifoHome/facts/Survey-Results/Konjunkturtest/Exporterwartungen/Archiv/2017/Exporterwartungen-20170727.html)
did note that German exporters were in "high spirits" in July even
as the euro has appreciated in value recently.
The euro hit an intraday high of $1.1777 before being pulled
back to $1.1650. Late Wednesday's settlement at $1.1735 in New York
was the highest since January 2015, according to WSJ Market Data
Group.
Stock movers: Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (ABI.BT) drove
higher by 5.7% as the world's largest brewer by sales posted a
surge in quarterly profit to $1.5 billion
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ab-inbev-profit-up-despite-drop-in-us-market-share-2017-07-27).
But the maker of Budweiser and Stella Artois beer also said sales
continued to decline in the U.S. and Brazil, its two largest
markets.
Diageo PLC shares (DEO)(DEO) jumped 6% as the world's largest
liquor maker, whose brands include Smirnoff vodka, raised its
target for profit margin growth
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/diageo-full-year-earnings-lifted-by-currency-boost-2017-07-27)
as it benefited from currency tailwinds and logged more sales.
Bayer AG (BAYN.XE) shares were knocked down 3% after the German
pharmaceuticals and chemicals maker cut its full-year forecast
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bayer-profit-falls-full-year-guidance-lowered-2017-07-27)and
posted an 11% drop in second-quarter net profit.
National indexes: Germany's DAX 30 dropped 0.8% to close at
12,212.04, its seventh loss in 10 sessions. France's CAC 40 index
gave up 0.1% to end at 5,186.95.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 gave up 0.1% to close at 7,443.01
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ftse-100-steady-as-astrazeneca-plunges-diageo-surges-2017-07-27),
but Spain's IBEX 35 moved up 0.3%, ending at 10,603.40.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 27, 2017 13:05 ET (17:05 GMT)
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