Europe midday: Shares make gains despite Brexit talks pessimism
European shares inched higher on Friday despite nervousness about the pessimistic tone being struck by both sides in the Brexit negotiations.
The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.11% at midday, with most continental bourses rising by similar levels. US futures had also turned positive, with the Dow Jones up by 173 points.
UK and European Union negotiators warned they were still far apart on a number of issues and an agreement was unlikely at this stage, dampening investor sentiment at the start of the session.
Sino-US relations were also in focus following a report that the US was set to add dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker SMIC, to a trade blacklist on Friday.
The FTSE gained on news that UK consumer confidence increased in December on brighter economic prospected, boosted by the start of the Covid-19 vaccination program.
The Consumer Confidence Barometer, compiled by market-researcher GfK, rose to minus 26 in December compared with the minus 33 reading registered the prior month and better than forecasts of minus 30.
In equity news, shares in Polish game maker CD Projekt slumped almost 20% after its much-hyped Cyberpunk 2077 computer game was pulled globally by electronics giant Sony after consumer complaints of bugs and compatibility issues.
“SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store,” the firm said in a statement.