The Ibex 35 has closed this Thursday with a rise of 0.29%, reaching 12,967.1 points, in a day marked by the bullish impulses of energy companies Repsol and Naturgy after presenting their results.
The main indicator of the Spanish market has moved through the entire negotiation in positive territory and much of it above the 13,000 level, a level that it ultimately could not maintain as it was affected by the bearish tone of Wall Street indices during the afternoon.
However, the indicator managed to recover some of the ground lost yesterday – when it plummeted by 1.63% due to geopolitical and tariff instability.
Thus, the national index, trading at 2008 highs, is on track to close its ninth consecutive week in the green, with only three negative closes in February so far. In 2024, the Ibex 35 has accumulated a gain of 11.83%.
Going into detail about today, it is worth noting that before the opening of the main indicator of the Spanish market, the annual accounts of Repsol, Naturgy, eDreams Odigeo, Airbus, and Renault, among other companies, were released.
Specifically, Repsol cut its profit by 45% in 2024, to 1.756 million, due to refining margin declines, while Naturgy earned 1.901 million in 2024, 4.3% less than the record in 2023.
Repsol also announced forecasts, a complementary dividend, and share buybacks of at least 700 million euros this year.
On the macroeconomic front, the Public Treasury placed 5,483.3 million euros in a bond auction, offering higher returns to investors for 3 and 5-year references.
Internationally, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the US Federal Reserve was cautious in its latest meeting, keeping interest rates between 4.25% and 4.50%, waiting for progress in inflation and uncertain economic policies.
«The minutes from the Fed confirm that the central bank will remain in ‘wait and see’ mode as the economy and employment remain healthy,» according to Banca March experts.
Yesterday, European stock markets turned red after US President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors from April onwards. The focus is also on the negotiations for peace in the Ukraine War.
In Europe, consumer confidence in the eurozone improved in February, while still negative. The producer price index in Germany moderated in February, with a 0.5% annual increase, contrary to expectations of a rise.
Within the Ibex 35, gains were led by Repsol (+7.84%) and Naturgy (+4.34%), followed by Colonial (+1.49%), Merlin Properties (+1.41%), ACS (+1.17%), and Indra (+1.13%). On the other hand, the biggest declines were for Aena (-1.77%), ArcelorMittal (-1.43%), Acciona Energía (-1.11%), Bakinter (-1.09%), and Cellnex (-0.58%).
The major European stock exchanges closed with mixed results: only Paris joined Madrid in gains with a 0.15% increase, while Milan dropped by 0.26%, Frankfurt by 0.53%, and London by 0.57%.
At the European closing time, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the reference for Europe, stood at $76.74, up by 0.93%, while Texas crude rose by 0.8% to $72.83.
In the currency market, the euro against the dollar was at 1.0475, up by 0.5% compared to the previous day, while the 10-year bond yield closed at 3.151%, down by two basis points, with a risk premium of 62 points against the German bond.
Gold prices rose by 0.3% to $2,940 per troy ounce, reaching a morning high of $2,954, while Bitcoin surged by 1.47% to $97,720.
FUENTE
