Europe open: Stocks retreat from two-week high after data barrage
By Benjamin Chiou
Date: Tuesday 30 Sep 2025
(Sharecast News) - European stock markets edged lower on Tuesday, pulling back from a two-week high, as investors digested a mixed bag of economic data early on.
By 0906 CEST, the pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.1% at 554.97, with losses of 0.2-0.3% recorded across London, Frankfurt and Paris, partially offset by a flat start in Milan and Madrid, and gains of 0.7% in Zurich.
The Stoxx 600 finished Monday's session at 555.53, its highest level since 15 September and within a whisker of the record close of 563.13 reached in March.
In economic data, UK GDP was estimated to have grown by 0.3% in the second quarter, following an unrevised 0.7% uplift in the first quarter and in line with market forecasts. Year-on-year, GDP rose by 1.4%, ahead of forecasts for a 1.2% increase.
German retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.2% in August following a revised 0.5% decline in July, Destatis said. This missed the consensus estimate for a 0.5% increase and marked the fourth fall in five months.
Meanwhile, the annual rate of French inflation picked up to 1.1% in September, according to preliminary estimates, up from 0.8% in July but under the 1.3% rate expected by the market.
Looking further afield, the RatingDog China manufacturing purchasing managers' index hit a six-month high of 51.2 in September, up from 50.5 in August and comfortably ahead of the 50.3 consensus forecast. The services PMI, at 52.9, also came in ahead of estimates.
Market movers
Shares in Asos dropped more than 10% after the London-listed online retailer said full-year revenues had come in "slightly below" market expectations and adjusted underlying earnings were at the bottom end of guidance.
Heading the other way were sportswear brands Adidas and Puma, which were among the best performers on the Stoxx 600 early on.
Meanwhile, Pandora fell 4% after the Danish jewellery company announced it was appointing CMO Berta de Pablos-Barbier as its new CEO, with current boss Alexander Lacik leaving after nearly seven years.
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