European shares inch up ahead of ECB as earnings remain in focus

European equities edged higher on Thursday as traders awaited the European Central Bank’s policy decision and reviewed company results, Business Recorder reported. At 0806 GMT, the STOXX 600 stood 0.11% higher at 644.80 points. Markets broadly expect the ECB to leave its interest rate unchanged at 2.5%, with President Christine Lagarde’s remarks on France’s bond situation and her own future also drawing attention.

Shell reported third-quarter net profit of $10.81 billion, its strongest since 2022, and increased its share buybacks; its stock rose 2.6%. The energy sector gained 1%, while London’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.3%. Airbus climbed 3.2% after keeping its annual outlook and production plans, despite mixed quarterly results. Technology shares lost 0.7% as Alphabet’s revenue shortfall and higher AI infrastructure spending weighed on sentiment; its shares fell 10.8% in US premarket trading.