Global markets rose on Thursday amid a barrage of earnings results from many of the world’s top companies.
Dublin
Euronext Dublin closed up 1.35 per cent as a number of its bigger hitters updated investors on the outlook.
AIB climbed 0.8 per cent on the day of its annual general meeting (agm) after it said new lending increased by 11 per cent to €3.6 billion in the first quarter of the year. Bank of Ireland, meanwhile, finished up 1.9 per cent.
Food ingredients giant Kerry Group, which also held its agm on Thursday, rose 3.4 per cent after it said the weakening of the US dollar drove a 7.3 per cent fall in its revenues in the first three months of the year despite growth in sales and in its key US market.
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Kingspan, the Cavan-based insulation specialist, closed down 0.7 per cent after it reported group sales rose 3 per cent on the year to €2.1 billion for the first three months of 2026.
Meanwhile, Cairn Homes, the Dublin-listed home builder, finished up 0.9 per cent after it reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance of between €1.05 billion and €1.08 billion despite uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Elsewhere, nutrition group Glanbia rose 3.3 per cent to add to the momentum it generated on Thursday when it soared more than 9 per cent on the back of a positive trading update that said it expects to post earnings per share growth this year at the “upper end” of 7-11 per cent.
London
The FTSE 100 closed up 1.6 per cent as investors weighed a barrage of earnings, interest rate calls and the latest developments in the Middle East. The FTSE 250 ended up 1.2 per cent, and the Aim All-Share rose 0.7 per cent.
United Utilities led the gainers, up 11 per cent, after it reported sharply higher annual results, expanded its investment programme, and launched a £800 million (€926 million) equity raise to help pay for it.
Rolls-Royce flew 7.6 per cent to the good as the aerospace and defence outfit reported a strong start to the year and said it will mitigate any impacts from the Middle East crisis.
But DCC fell 5.8 per cent as it spurned a takeover approach from a consortium led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts on the basis that it “undervalues” the company’s prospects.
Elsewhere, Premier Inn owner Whitbread was also on the wane, ending 6.3 per cent lower, after announcing plans to cut 3,800 jobs as part of a strategic review.
Europe
Traders slightly tempered their bets the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates three times this year after policymakers flagged the trade-off between rising inflation and the hit to growth from higher energy prices.
The ECB held rates at 2 per cent, with president Christine Lagarde saying officials were conscious of the risks to the economy from the war but had also debated a hike at length.
Government bond yields across the bloc dipped after the decision as traders trimmed their wagers on rate hikes this year. Two-year German bond yields, sensitive to ECB rate expectations, were down 7 basis points at 2.65 per cent.
In European equities, the Cac 40 in Paris ended up 0.5 per cent, and Dax 40 in Frankfurt jumped 1.4 per cent. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1.4 per cent.
New York
On Wall Street, markets were higher with big moves among technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.3 per cent, the S&P 500 was 0.4 per cent higher, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.1 per cent.
Meta Platforms fell 9 per cent as another increase in capex unsettled investors. But Google-owner Alphabet soared 6.7 per cent after better-than-expected results driven by its cloud business.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury trimmed to 4.38 per cent on Thursday, from 4.39 per cent on Wednesday. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was unchanged at 4.98 per cent compared with a day earlier. – Additional reporting: Agencies
