Europe's stock markets continue record rally

With the consistent continuation of impressive upward momentum, European stock markets continued their record chase on Friday. The pan-European benchmark index EuroStoxx 50 rose by a notable 0.72 percent by midday, reaching 4,777.32 points. National indices also reported positive trends. The French Cac 40 gained 0.62 percent to 7,791.18 points, while the British FTSE 100 saw an increase of 0.97 percent, catapulting it to 7,671.55 points. According to market expert Andreas Lipkow, the exchange is benefiting from positive tailwinds from Asian and American trading centers. He notes a sustained confidence among investors, bolstered by a focus on longer-term economic stability in the USA, which would sideline interest rate speculations. It remains to be seen what impact the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting could have on the markets, even if anticipated rate cuts may not materialize. Robert Greil from Merck Finck interprets the situation to mean that the latest data make a recession in the USA increasingly unlikely, and the Federal Reserve does not have an urgent need to act due to a non-linear decrease in inflation. Driven by pleasing numbers from the US economy, shares in the technology sector, particularly in semiconductors, have risen. Applied Materials, a major player in the semiconductor industry, announced a promising sales outlook for the next quarter. This led to a 1.2 percent increase for semiconductor producer ASML. Shares in the chemical sector were also on the rise, with Sika notably standing out. The Swiss corporation gained an impressive 4.2 percent, supported by positively commented business prospects by analysts from Baader. Less positive news, however, reached Swiss Re, whose shares fell by 2.3 percent after the announcement of the annual figures. Despite exceeding earnings expectations and an increased dividend announcement, the results fell short of some analysts' forecasts, which, according to traders, contributed to the losses along with profit-taking following previous price increases.