European Markets End Year on Mixed Note; Wizz Air Faces Setback

European stock markets closed the year with a mixed bag of results, a quiet end to a year marked by important fluctuations. While milan, Frankfurt, and Zurich were closed for the holiday, Paris, Amsterdam, and London saw modest gains, exceeding half a point in some cases. Madrid lagged slightly behind. Trading volumes remained thin due to the holiday season. Energy and raw materials stocks performed especially well, boosting the overall market sentiment.

Wall Street,which ended the previous day with a decline,is poised to record a year of substantial growth in 2024,despite a recent slowdown.”It will be a record year also for gold,” which is on track for its best 12-month performance since 2010, fueled by interest rate cuts and escalating geopolitical tensions globally.

Asian markets, meanwhile, concluded the frist quarter of 2024 in negative territory, although they still managed to finish the year with positive overall gains.With the Tokyo Stock exchange closed until January 6th, markets in Australia and mainland China closed lower, while Hong Kong remained relatively flat.

Groupe Casino‘s Positive Move; Repsol’s Rise in Madrid

among individual stocks, Groupe Casino saw gains in Paris following a binding agreement with Icade Promotion for the sale of an 11-site real estate portfolio for €50 million. This sale is expected to substantially reduce the group’s debt, particularly to bondholders of its subsidiary, Quatrim.

In London, all eyes were on Wizz Air. the low-cost airline’s stock benefited from projections of a return to growth in the 2026 fiscal year (beginning in March). Though, these gains were tempered by the declaration that the company plans to keep approximately forty Airbus A320neo planes grounded until 2026 due to engine problems requiring extensive inspections.

European stock markets closed the year with mixed results. Paris, Amsterdam, and London saw modest gains, while madrid lagged slightly behind. Energy and raw materials stocks performed especially well. [1]





Wall Street is poised to record significant growth in 2024 despite a recent slowdown. Gold is on track for its best 12-month performance as 2010.



Asian markets concluded the first quarter of 2024 in negative territory, but still managed to finish the year with positive overall gains. [1]



Groupe Casino saw gains in Paris following a binding agreement with Icade Promotion for the sale of an 11-site real estate portfolio for €50 million. [1]



In London, Wizz Air’s stock benefited from projections of a return to growth in the 2026 fiscal year. [1]