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(Sharecast News) - European shares edged ahead on Monday with defence stocks in focus as US President Donald Trump claimed a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was "closer than ever", although territorial issues remained unresolved.
The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.08% at 1156 GMT with Germany's DAX flat and France's CAC 40 up 0.16%.
After a two-hour meeting in Florida with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Trump said a draft agreement to end the war was nearly "95% done" but was forced to concede that the future of the eastern Donbas region - occupied by Russia - was still a major sticking point.
Russia appeared to have no interest in stopping its aggression, continuing to bomb civilian targets in the capital Kyiv. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that Moscow agreed with Trump's assertion that talks to end the war were in their final stage.
Zelenskyy said a draft peace framework envisaged US security guarantees for Ukraine for 15 years, although he had asked for 50 years.
With a shortened trading week ahead of the new year break and no major economic announcements scheduled trade was expected to be thin.
In equities news, shares in arms makers were all lower, led by Leonardo, Hensoldt, Rheinmetall and Saab.
Fresnillo jumped on higher gold and silver prices, although the latter had retreated from records on Monday.
"Silver has rallied by 157% so far this year, it is by far the best performer in the commodity and equity index space in 2025. However, today's sharp retreat suggests that we have put in a medium-term high for the metal, and traders should brace themselves for a period of volatility as we move into 2026," said XTB research director.
"While there is still a supply and demand imbalance in the precious metals sphere, it continues to hold that what goes up, and then up farther still, must come down."
"For now, technicals are driving precious metals and they are suggesting that gold and silver are overbought. The gold price is also lower today, but it is down by 1.8%, with the silver price taking the brunt of the selling pressure."
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com