European stocks rose for a third straight session on Thursday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 adding 0.5%, driven by strong corporate earnings reports.
Earnings boost European markets
AstraZeneca shares surged nearly 4% after exceeding earnings and revenue expectations and forecasting further sales growth. Societe Generale jumped around 7% on increased Q4 revenue and positive revenue and profitability targets for the year. Maersk soared over 6% following the announcement of a $2 billion share buyback program.
Volvo, Kering down; trade war looms
Conversely, Volvo plummeted more than 7% after issuing a warning about a challenging 2025, and Kering dropped 2.8% following the announcement of Gucci's creative director's departure. Traders also continued to monitor developments in the trade war.
