European stocks end midweek mixed, defense stocks sink

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - European stock markets ended Wednesday with a mixed course, with the decline in the defense stocks dragging down the markets amid hopes of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 rose 0.23%, or 1.28 points, to close at 559.09, while the Stoxx Europe Aerospace and Defense index fell 1.25% Wednesday, following a 2.6% loss on Tuesday.

The UK's FTSE 100 index climbed 1.08% to 9,288.14 points.

Meanwhile, Germany's DAX 40 index was down 0.6% to end at 24,276.97 points, and France's CAC 40 fell 0.08% to close at 7,973.03.

Italy's FTSE MIB 30 index dropped 0.36% to 42,864.81 points, and Spain's IBEX 35 index lost 0.08% to end at 15,292.1 points.

Euro/dollar parity was traded at 1.1663 levels, up 0.14% as of 1715GMT.

The European investors have focused on the ongoing efforts aimed to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as the recent talks between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders have increased hopes for a ceasefire or an end to the armed conflict.

On the data side, annual inflation in the Eurozone remained steady at 2% in July.

In the UK, the annual inflation rose to 3.8% in July, the highest level since January 2024.