ECB's Decision Impacts European Markets

Following the European Central Bank's (ECB) unanimous decision to reduce its key interest rates by another 25 basis points, marking the seventh rate cut in a year, major stock indexes in Europe closed mostly lower on Thursday. This move by the ECB has stirred the markets, with investors also digesting recent economic reports.

Economic Reports Add to Market Sentiment

Recent reports on the producer prices in Germany, which decreased in March, and Switzerland's trade surplus that reached 13.7 billion Swiss francs in the first quarter of 2025, have also played a role in today's market dynamics.

Index Performances and Currency Movements

The DAX declined by 0.49%, with Fresenius Medical Care tumbling by 5.78%, while the FTSE 100 remained flat. The CAC 40 slipped by 0.60%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 dropped by 0.63%, with Hermes International falling by 3.22% on both indexes. In currency markets, the euro lost 0.22% against the dollar, selling for $1.13760, whereas the British pound was up by 0.11%, selling for $1.32568.