Luxury sector bellwether Richemont jumped 16% after reporting a better-than-expected 10% increase in fiscal third-quarter sales, while France's LVMH, Kering and Christian Dior all rising. Retailers Moncler, Burberry, Swatch and Hermes also crowded around the top of the Stoxx index.

Indexes were slightly lower Thursday. Stocks dipped after posting the best day since November on Wednesday, fueled by bank earnings and tame CPI data.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are pointed firmly lower, following yesterday's 703-point pop, while S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures sit flat, and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures manage a modest gain.

Rising over 13% in 2024, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged the S&P 500, which soared 23%. But the diversity among the performances of the individual Dow Jones stocks was considerable.

U.S. futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.4% and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.1% ... Financiere Richemont rose 15.7% and Zalando added 15%. On the other hand, Safestore ...

Fears of a technical recession were stoked today by figures showing the UK barely grew in November. The 0.1% rise in GDP came in short of expectations, raising the prospect of an interest rate cut next month. On the corporate front, Whitbread, Taylor Wimpey and Deliveroo have posted updates.

US markets finished lower on Thursday following a mixed US retail sales report, while European luxury stocks pushed higher following strong results

In equities, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 68.42 points, or 0.16%, to 43,153.13, the S&P 500 fell 12.57 points, or 0.21%, to 5,937.34 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 172.94 points, or 0.89%, to 19,338.29. In contrast, MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe rose 1.31 points, or 0.15%, to 848.61.

Luxury stocks were among the top gainers after a better-than-expected sales update from Cartier owner Richemont that eased ... Warns of Oligarchy and Tech Industrial Complex in Farewell Address ...

U.S. stocks traded sharply higher in Wednesday's final hour of trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 headed for a third consecutive session of gains after December's CPI data sparked a relief rally.

The drop in Apple shares Thursday broke a three-day winning streak for the S&P, despite big banks posting upbeat earnings.

Bank of America and Morgan Stanley earnings are out. Follow along for live updates on stocks, bonds and other markets, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite.