Why European stocks are rising sharply today?

Stocks across Europe traded higher today as investors reacted to new labor data from the UK, steady growth numbers from the EU, and a strong trade surplus that came in at the end of 2025.

Europe’s STOXX600 came in at 619.45 with a 0.15% gain. The FTSE 100 rose almost 0.5% to 10,515.35. The FTSE MIB added 0.43% to 45,614.98. The IBEX 35 grew 0.43% to 17,924.3. The DAX reached 24,832.68 with a 0.13% rise.

The CAC 40 added 0.06% to 8,321.7. The AEX added 0.02% to 993.25. Portugal’s PSI20 posted one of the strongest gains at 0.83% to 9,133.82. Switzerland’s SMI gained 0.45% to 13,716.77.

Meanwhile, the BEL 20 dipped 0.01%, Finland’s HEX crashed a bit by 0.07%, Sweden’s OMXS30 fell 0.2%, and Denmark’s OMXC 25 rose 0.74% to 1,813.53.

UK labor market data hit the pound and lift EU-located stocks

The UK posted tough job numbers that pushed the pound lower, as its jobless rate rose to 5.2%, the highest level in five years. Payrolled workers dropped to 30.3 million in January 2026. That was 134,000 fewer than a year earlier and 11,000 fewer than the previous month.

The employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 was 75% between October and December 2025. It was down from the previous quarter but unchanged compared with a year earlier.

Regular and total earnings from wages in the UK increased by 4.2% in Q4 2025, while public sector earnings rose to 7.2%. Private sector earnings rose 3.4%. The public sector number was shaped by early pay rises in 2025 that will fade out in later reports.

The pound reacted fast. GBP/USD slipped 0.242% to 1.359. The pound also fell 0.2% against the Euro. Currency traders in Europe watched this closely because sharp currency weakness can pull risk appetite in different directions.

The rest of the currency board stayed mixed. EUR/USD came in at 1.185. EUR/GBP sat at 0.871 with a 0.28% rise. EUR/JPY dropped to 181.07. USD/CHF sat at 0.769. EUR/CHF sat at 0.911.

Bond yields in the UK fell after the labor report. The 10-year gilt dropped to 4.365% with a 0.037 fall. The 2-year gilt went to 3.563%. Yields across Europe followed in quiet fashion. The Bund 10-year landed at 2.736%. The Italian 10-year landed at 3.358%. The French 10-year landed at 3.322%. Lower yields helped stocks hold their gains across Europe.

Fresh EU and eurozone data showed 0.3% growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. Full year growth reached 1.5% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU. Employment increased 0.2% in both regions. These numbers kept traders steady across Europe because they fit expectations.

The trade surplus helped even more. The eurozone recorded a €12.6 billion surplus in December 2025, a slight decrease from the €13.9 billion it had in December 2024.

EU exports meanwhile reached €234 billion, a 3.4% rise from €226.3 billion in December 2024. Strong export demand added extra support across Europe, even while the UK data added stress on the currency side.

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