Europe: Stocks run out of steam after ECB; energy shares weigh

[BENGALURU] European stocks lost steam heading into the close on Thursday, weighed down by oil and real estate shares, while the European Central Bank stuck to its monetary policy but warned a surge in Covid-19 infections posed a risk to the euro zone's recovery.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended flat after rising as much as 0.8 per cent earlier in the session.

Energy majors BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Total each fell more than 2 per cent, as oil prices slipped after industry data showed a surprise increase in US crude inventories.

The ECB offered few surprises after it kept its policy unchanged, while its president Christine Lagarde warned that a new rise in cases and the ensuing restrictions to activity would dampen activity in the near term and said the ECB was prepared to provide even more support for the economy if needed.

"Lagarde touched upon the mixed positive and negative developments but concluded that there were no reasons to change the broader assessment from the December projections," Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING, wrote in a note.

Mr Brzeski, however, noted the central bank's projection in December of 0.6 per cent GDP growth quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter "is a tad optimistic." Euro zone stocks came off session highs to close 0.1 per cent lower with the euro strengthening against the dollar, while euro zone banks slid 0.6 per cent.

European shares rallied to near 11-month highs earlier on Thursday as investors bet on major stimulus from new US President Joe Biden, who signed half a dozen executive orders including a US return to the international Paris Agreement to fight climate change.

Shares in wind turbine maker Vestas, renewable energy group Siemens Gamesa and offshore wind group Orsted rose between 1.4 per cent and 3.9 per cent.

French shopping centre operators Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Klepierre lost 8.4 per cent and 6.5 per cent, respectively, dragging down the real estate index by 1.5 per cent.

Tech stocks jumped 1.6 per cent as their US peers rallied, while British software maker Sage Group jumped 4.9 per cent after posting higher quarterly recurring revenue.

Spain's Bankinter gained 4.3 per cent as it forecast higher lending income and loan growth across its markets.

Swiss online pharmacy chain Zur Rose Group AG climbed 8.9 per cent after it posted full-year revenue above analysts' expectations.

Britain's IG tumbled almost 9 per cent after it announced plans to buy US trading platform tastytrade for US$1 billion.

REUTERS