European Stocks Finish Higher

European stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the Stoxx Europe 600 index rising by 0.55% to 461.61.

Major Index Gains

• The French CAC 40 index added 0.59% to reach 7,310.77.
• The FTSE 100 index increased by 0.41% to 7,453.75.
• The German DAX grew by 0.30% to 16,215.43.

Top Performers

Among the constituents of the Stoxx Europe 600, health care/life sciences company MorphoSys AG saw the largest increase, with its shares soaring by 21.8%.

• Health care/life sciences firm Idorsia Ltd’s shares jumped by 16.0%.
• Insurance company ASR Nederland N.V.’s shares climbed by 13.0%.
• Insurance company NN Group N.V. and investing/securities business Eurazeo SE rounded out the top five largest increases, gaining 9.9% and 9.7%, respectively.

Biggest Losers

Health care/life sciences company Orpea S.A. experienced the largest decline among the Stoxx Europe 600 constituents, as its shares plummeted by 91.9% on Thursday.

• Shares of firm Dr. Martens PLC and printing/publishing company Future PLC tumbled by 21.4% and 11.4%, respectively.
• Health care/life sciences company Elekta AB Series B and technology firm Samhaellsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden AB Series B rounded out the top five largest decreases, with their stocks weakening by 7.5% and 6.4%, respectively.

Currency and Commodity Update

The pound was down 0.45% against the dollar, while the euro decreased by 0.57%.

Brent crude declined by 2.79% to reach $80.57.

Bond Yields

The yield on the 10-year gilt increased by 7.45 basis points to 4.177%, and the yield on the German 10-year bund rose by 1.220 basis points to 2.45%.