European Equities End Week Lower in Friday Trading; German, French Inflation Decline; UK GDP Contracts

12:10 PM EST, 12/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed lower in Friday trading as the Stoxx Europe declined 0.53%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.45%, the FTSE 100 fell 0.56%, France's CAC lost 0.21%, and the Swiss Market Index was down 0.14%.

In Germany, monthly inflation declined 0.2% in November, compared with October, according to the Federal Statistical Office, and matched analyst forecasts, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, annual inflation was 2.3% in November, the same as in October, and matching analyst forecasts, according to Bloomberg.

"As the end of year approaches, the development of consumer prices has stabilized for now," FSO President Ruth Brand said in a statement. "The increase in service prices continues to drive up inflation. On the other hand, the development of energy and food prices has had a downward effect on inflation in November also."

In France, monthly inflation was down 0.2% in November, compared with October, according to the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, which attributed the decline to lower services prices. The decline was partially offset by energy prices, which rose 1.3% after declining 0.4% the previous month.

Analysts expected monthly inflation to decline 0.1%, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, annual inflation rose 0.9% in November, the same as in October, and meeting analyst forecasts.

In the UK, real gross domestic product contracted 0.1% in the three months to October, following growth of 0.1% in the three months to September, and 0.2% in the three months to August, according to the Office for National Statistics. Services output experienced no growth, compared with growth of 0.2% in the three months to September, extending its recent trend of slowing growth in the service sector.

Analysts expected growth of 0.1%, according to Bloomberg.

And in corporate news, HSBC closed a fast-track management program as part of its latest cost-cutting efforts, ending a training course that began 160 years ago and counts among its alumni former chief executives Stuart Gulliver and John Flint, according to a report in the Financial Times.

The "International Manager" program, which trained the next generation of HSBC executives, has been closed to recruits, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

HSBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MTNewswires.

Shares of the British lender were little changed on the FTSE 100.

Rio Tinto's majority-owned Tomago aluminum smelter in Australia will undergo a rescue effort unveiled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to keep the struggling facility open after its current power contract expires in 2028, Reuters reported Friday.

Under the deal, which is yet to be finalized, the government reportedly said it will secure a long-term, fixed-price energy supply for the smelter and provide concessional finance arrangements to accelerate renewable energy generation and storage development.

Rio Tinto did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment on the matter.

Shares of the UK-based mining company declined 1.4% in London.

UBS Group shares were up 2.2% in recent premarket activity Friday following media reports that Swiss lawmakers have pitched a compromise on new capital rules for the local banking giant in a bid to make sure it continues to be competitive globally.

Under the Swiss government's proposal, UBS should capitalize its overseas units by 100% instead of the current 60% to cover potential losses abroad, according to news reports Friday.

UBS didn't immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Shares of UBS gained 2.5% in Zurich.

Novartis said Friday that it has broke ground on its flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina, which its part of its $23 billion investment in US-based facilities in the next five years.

The company said the hub is expected to open in 2027 to 2028, bringing it closer to its goal of producing all its key medicines for US patients in the the country.

Shares of the Swiss pharmaceutical company edged 0.1% lower in Zurich.

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