European Stocks Close Mostly Higher in Tuesday Trading; Spanish Annual GDP Expands 2.8%

12:46 PM EST, 12/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed mostly higher in Tuesday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.34%, Germany's DAX gained 0.23%, the FTSE 100 increased 0.24%, the Swiss Market Index was up 0.60%, while France's CAC was off 0.21%.

In Spain, annual GDP expanded 2.8%, while quarterly GDP grew 0.6% in Q3, according to the Spanish Statistical Institute.

And in corporate news, Novo Nordisk said late Monday the US Food and Drug Administration approved its Wegovy obesity drug for weight management and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

The approval is based on a clinical study, which showed that adult patients taking the product daily achieved a mean weight loss of 16.6%. The company expects to launch the pill version of Wegovy in the US in early January.

Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical company surged 8.6% in Copenhagen.

Stellantis is planning to sell a site that includes facilities for the storage of used nuclear fuel to an Italian state-backed company under a plan approved Monday by Italy's cabinet, news outlets reported.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has approved a plan to allow the company Sogin to acquire Deposito Avogadro, which manages a former nuclear reactor in Italy's Piedmont region, Reuters reported.

Stellantis did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Shares of the automaker 0.5% in Paris.

Ryanair said Tuesday it will immediately appeal the 255.8 million euros ($301.4 million) fine levied by Italy's Competition Authority, or AGCM, for abusing its dominant position in dealings with travel agents.

The AGCM said it found Ryanair restricted online and traditional agencies from selling its flights, especially when bundled with other airlines or travel services, between April 2023 and April 2025. The measures the airline used included facial recognition checks, blocking agency bookings, and limiting payment methods.

Shares of the Irish airline operator were off 0.1% in Dublin.

Equinor's Empire Offshore Wind said late Monday it is complying with the notice received from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ordering the suspension of ongoing activities on the Outer Continental Shelf because of national security concerns.

Empire Offshore Wind said it expects to provide enough power to electrify 500,000 homes by connecting to New York's grid. The project is more than 60% complete.

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has granted marketing and manufacturing authorization for their therapy Dupixent.

The drug is intended for the treatment of severe or refractory bronchial asthma in children six to 11 years old whose symptoms are inadequately controlled with existing therapy. The latest authorization expands the indication from patients aged 12 years and older previously approved, the companies said.

Shares of the French pharmaceutical company rose 0.8% in Paris.

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