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European stocks open higher as investors digest latest slew of earnings; Hermes rises 2.3%

Gloomy sentiment continues with European markets heading for a negative open
Juergen Sack | E+ | Getty Images

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets.

European stocks opened slightly higher on Thursday, as traders reviewed another batch of earnings reports, and as U.S. market declines weighed on global sentiment.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.25% in opening trade, with the majority of major bourses and sectors trading in positive territory. Travel and leisure stocks added 1.13% while retail shares led losses, dipping 0.24%.

Shares of French fashion house Hermes gained 2.3% after the company reported a significant increase in third quarter sales, as demand for its Birkin bags continued to outweigh a wider downturn in luxury sales.

Barclays shares also rose 1.7% after the British bank reported better-than-expected third-quarter results.

Global market sentiment has taken a hit after U.S. markets posted more declines on Wednesday. The Dow ended the session with its biggest one-day loss since early September, dropping more than 400 points, or 0.96%. The S&P 500 slipped 0.92%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.6%. It was the third straight losing day for the Dow and the S&P 500.

The declines prompted Asia-Pacific markets to mostly fall overnight. U.S. stock futures linked to the S&P 500 traded near the flatline.

— CNBC's Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this market summary

Barclays profit jumps 23% in third quarter

One Churchill Place skyscraper, the Barclays Plc headquarters, at Canary Wharf in London, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. 
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
One Churchill Place skyscraper, the Barclays Plc headquarters, at Canary Wharf in London, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. 

British bank Barclays on Thursday reported £1.6 billion ($2 billion) net profit attributable to shareholders for the third quarter, beating expectations.

The result compared with the £1.17 billion net profit forecast in an LSEG poll of analysts, and was 23% higher than the same period in 2023.

Revenue for the period came in at £6.5 billion, slightly ahead of a forecast of £6.39 billion.

— Jenni Reid

Renault revenues rise in the third quarter

A Renault Espace E-Tech full Hybrid (L) and a Megane E-Tech 100% Electric EV (C) are displayed during the Geneva Motor Show 2024 at Palexpo on Feb. 26, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. 
John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images
A Renault Espace E-Tech full Hybrid (L) and a Megane E-Tech 100% Electric EV (C) are displayed during the Geneva Motor Show 2024 at Palexpo on Feb. 26, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. 

French carmaker Renault on Thursday reported an unexpected uptick in third-quarter revenue amid strong demand for its pricier models.

Group revenue for the period came in at 10.7 billion euros ($11.54 billion), up 5% from the same period of 2023 at constant exchange rates, driven by the launch of 10 new products this year.

Auto revenues reached 9.3 billion euros, up 2.6% on a constant-exchange rate basis, the company said.

— Karen Gilchrist

CNBC Pro: Want to cash in on the boom in robots? Bernstein names 3 stocks to play the trend

Robots - or automated devices that can execute tasks without human intervention - are witnessing a "new inflection point" and several global stocks are leading in a corner of the ecosystem, according to Bernstein.

These stocks are captured under the arc welding segment or "one of the largest robotic applications," the investment banks' analysts noted. Such robots account for around 10 - 20% of annual robot shipments, they added, naming three overweight-rated stocks they like.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Amala Balakrishner

CNBC Pro: Bernstein names its top European stock picks — and gives 4 more than 50% upside

Bernstein has identified a handful of European companies as top stock picks, with four showing potential gains of more than 50 percent.

The stocks named span diverse sectors, from recreational vehicle manufacturing to semiconductor production, reflecting Bernstein's confidence in various European market segments.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Ganesh Rao

European markets: Here are the opening calls

European markets are expected to open in flat to mixed territory Wednesday.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 3 points lower at 8,304, Germany's DAX up 8 points at 19,440, France's CAC down 9 points at 7,529 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 47 points at 34,490, according to data from IG.

It's a busy day for earnings Wednesday, with Deutsche Bank, Roche, Heineken, Volvo, Swedbank and AkzoNobel among the companies reporting. On the data front, Europe consumer confidence figures are due.

— Holly Ellyatt

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