European equities traded higher on Friday and were on track to post their strongest weekly gains since early January, supported by an improving corporate earnings outlook and easing concerns over near-term disruption from artificial intelligence, although persistent geopolitical tensions tempered overall enthusiasm. By 09:42 GMT, the pan-European STOXX 600 index …

U.K. private sector activity expanded at its fastest pace in nearly two years during February, driven by a strong rebound in manufacturing output and a sustained recovery in new business, according to flash PMI data released on Friday. The S&P Global Flash UK Composite Output Index rose to 53.9 in …

France’s private sector showed little sign of meaningful growth in February, with business activity remaining broadly flat at the start of the year, according to a closely watched monthly survey released on Friday. The HCOB Flash France Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 49.6 points …

German business activity expanded at a faster-than-expected pace in February, supported by a rebound in manufacturing and stronger momentum in the services sector, according to flash PMI data released on Friday. The German Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 53.1 in February, exceeding market expectations of 52.2 and improving …

Oil prices edged higher in Asian trading on Friday, building on strong gains from the previous two sessions and putting benchmarks on course for a weekly rise of around 6%, as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran stoked fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East. By 22:41 …

U.K. retail sales posted a strong start to the year in January, significantly outperforming expectations and building on December’s gains, suggesting that consumers entered the new year with a greater degree of confidence than anticipated. According to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes rose …

Bitcoin declined further on Thursday, extending its recent downtrend after hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes heightened uncertainty over the outlook for U.S. interest rates. The cryptocurrency sector was also pressured by broader risk aversion amid escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. The world’s …

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Thursday as investors digested a more hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes, alongside fresh earnings from key retail and industrial bellwethers. At 05:55 ET (10:55 GMT), Dow Jones futures fell 190 points, or 0.4%, S&P 500 futures declined 25 points, …

Shares of major Italian utility companies fell sharply on Thursday after the government approved an increase in corporate taxation targeting the energy sector, raising concerns over profitability and regulatory risk. By 09:11 GMT, shares in A2A (BIT: A2) were down 3.5%, while Enel (BIT: ENEI) slipped 3.1%. Hera (BIT: HRA) …

European equity markets traded lower on Thursday as investors worked through a heavy slate of quarterly corporate results while remaining cautious amid elevated geopolitical tensions. By 03:02 ET (08:02 GMT), Germany’s DAX fell 0.3%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.2%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 declined 0.2%, reflecting a broadly risk-averse …