European Markets Up As Swiss Rate Stays At 0%

European stock markets went up slightly on Thursday as investors reacted to two big updates: the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate cut and Switzerland’s decision to keep its interest rate at 0%.

The Stoxx 600 index rose around 0.2%, while major markets in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. also saw small gains.

Switzerland’s central bank kept its interest rate at 0% because inflation in the country has dropped to almost zero. However, the strong Swiss franc and recent U.S. tariffs have put pressure on the Swiss economy.

The U.S. Federal Reserve cut its interest rate by 0.25%, bringing it to 3.5%–3.75%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the bank is now comfortable waiting to see how the economy performs before making more cuts.

Investors are also watching for upcoming decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England on December 18.

Some sectors saw strong movement: defense stocks continued rising, while tech stocks fell after Oracle reported weak results, which affected companies like SAP and ASMI.

Globally, markets stayed cautious. Asia-Pacific markets went mostly lower, and U.S. futures dipped overnight.

No major economic data is expected from Europe today.

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