European Equities Close Mixed in Friday Trading; EU GDP Grows 0.4% in Q3

12:10 PM EST, 12/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed mixed in Friday trading as the Stoxx Europe edged 0.01% higher, Germany's DAX gained 0.66%, the FTSE 100 declined 0.45 %, France's CAC was off 0.09%, and the Swiss Market Index rose 0.33%.

Seasonally adjusted GDP increased 0.3% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU in Q3, compared with the previous quarter, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Compared with a year earlier, seasonally adjusted GDP grew 1.4% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU.

Among the member states, Denmark had the highest GDP increase at 2.3%, followed by Luxembourg and Sweden (1.1% each), while the lowest GDP rates were in Ireland and Finland (-0.3% each), and Romania (-0.2%).

In the UK, house prices were flat in November, following a 0.5% increase in October, according to the Halifax House Price Index, with an average property price of 299,892 British pounds ($399,582), while annual growth decelerated to 0.7% from 1.9% in October.

And in corporate news, Novo Nordisk has lost an Indian court case over whether Dr. Reddy's Laboratories can manufacture and export generic versions of its diabetes and weight-loss drugs, news outlets reported Thursday.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Novo Nordisk's petition to block Dr. Reddy's from producing Ozempic and Wegovy's active ingredient semaglutide, the reports said.

Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical company gained 1.2% in Copenhagen.

Stellantis said Friday its "Shares to Win" employee share purchase plan completed its 2025 edition last month. At the close of the latest edition, the program accounted for 22 million shares subscribed by employees since its launch in 2023, the automaker said.

Stellantis said this corresponds to 209 million euros ($243.4 million) invested, consisting of 141 million euros in personal subscriptions and 68 million euros contributed by the company via its matching program.

The automaker has also been told by the Canadian government that it is in default on its public financial support after the company moved production to a US plant, news outlets reported Thursday, citing Industry Minister Melanie Joly.

Stellantis did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment. CBC quoted a Stellantis spokesperson as saying, "We do not agree that we are in breach of contract."

Shares of Stellantis rose 2.2% in Paris.

BHP Group said Friday that the Federal Court of Australia has approved the settlement of the Australian Samarco shareholder class action.

The company agreed to pay 110 million Australian dollars ($72.9 million) with no admission of liability and expects to recover the majority of the settlement amount from its insurers, the company said.

Shares of the mining company gained 1.5% in London trading.

Equinor and partner Aker BP have made a new gas and condensate find in Norway's North Sea with estimated recoverable volumes of 30 million to 110 million barrels of oil equivalent, the companies said Friday.

Equinor said the discoveries are its largest this year and can be developed for the European market through existing infrastructure.

Shares of the Norwegian petroleum refiner were up 0.2% in Oslo.

Unilever said Friday the demerger of its ice cream business, The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V., will be completed on Saturday. The newly formed company's ordinary shares are set to begin trading in bourses in Amsterdam, London, and New York on Monday, according to a regulatory filing on the London Stock Exchange.

Shares of the consumer goods giant gained 0.6% in London.

Banco Santander's senior executive, Alexsandro Broedel Lopes, is being investigated by Brazil's central bank over fraud allegations made by his former employer, Itau Unibanco, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing a document.

Broedel, who is Itau's former finance chief, was accused of siphoning funds through an arrangement with an external consultant he hired for the bank. A police investigation is ongoing, according to the report.

Santander did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Shares of the Spanish lender were 0.2% lower in Madrid.

MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.