Key facts
- European shares rose on Thursday, with the STOXX 600 up 0.5% to 640.37 points.
- The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday.
- European energy stocks dipped 0.2% as oil prices extended losses.
- Sodexo shares gained 3.2% after a rating upgrade from J.P.Morgan.
- Bilfinger shares fell 24.2% after lowering its 2026 outlook.
European shares edged higher on Thursday, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index rising 0.5% to 640.37 points at 0805 GMT. The gains were supported by falling crude oil prices and a pause in the global bond selloff, which followed the U.S. Federal Reserve's widely anticipated 25 basis point interest rate hike on Wednesday. The Fed also signaled more rate increases in the coming months.
Travel stocks were among the top gainers, climbing 0.8%, while technology stocks also rose 0.8%, with contributions from Nemetschek and ASML. European energy stocks dipped 0.2% as oil prices extended losses for a second session, reportedly due to Saudi Arabia offering extra crude cargoes through Oman, though prices remained above $100.
In corporate news, Sodexo gained 3.2% after J.P.Morgan upgraded its rating on the French caterer to "overweight" from "neutral." Conversely, Bilfinger slipped 24.2% after the German industrial services group lowered its 2026 outlook for the second time.
Attention now turns to the Bank of England, which is widely expected to keep interest rates steady later in the day. Yields on global government bonds were trading in a flat-to-lower band early on Thursday after hitting multi-month highs earlier this month.