Europe open: Shares up on UK GDP growth; Eyes on Trump-Putin talks
By Frank Prenesti
Date: Thursday 14 Aug 2025
(Sharecast News) - European shares were broadly higher at the open on Thursday as investors digested flash GDP data from the UK and eyed upcoming talks between US President Donald Trump and Russia counterpart Vladimir Putin on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The pan-regional Stoxx 600 was up 0.08% at 551 by 0803 BST. Germany's DAX rose 0.12% and France's CAC 40 gained 0.19%.
Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.28% despite preliminary official data showing the UK economy expanded by a better-than-expected 0.3% in the second quarter. Economists had forecast a 0.1% rise in GDP compared with the 0.7% recorded in the first three months of the year.
Month-on-month, the economy grew 0.4% in June after a 0.1% contraction in May, as US tariffs and a gloomy economic backdrop.
On the geopolitical front, Trump overnight warned there would be "very severe consequences" if Putin failed to agree to a ceasefire agreement at their upcoming meeting in Alaska.
Trump also said he hoped to use the Friday meeting to set up a "quick second meeting" with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host Zelenskiy in London on Thursday, British officials said.
In equity news, Centrica gained as it bought National Grid's UK LNG terminal for £1.5bn with US-based Energy Capital Partners.
Embracer Group tanked by 22% as the Swedish gaming company's first-quarter profits missed estimates.
Thyssenkrupp fell after the German conglomerate cut its full-year outlook for investments and sales, citing weak demand s Trump's tariff war hit its key markets.
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
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