Doha: European stocks were steady on Wednesday after two consecutive days of gains as investors analyzed a series of corporate earnings and comments from executives. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was flat, while the technology sector rose 2.7 percent, making it the biggest gainer.
According to Qatar News Agency, ASML, the world's largest supplier of computer chip equipment, reported orders for the fourth quarter that exceeded expectations, reflecting resilient demand for artificial intelligence, and the company's shares jumped 6.9 percent. Shares of the Swedish truckmaker Volvo Group rose 2.7 percent after it announced a smaller-than-expected decline in fourth-quarter operating profit. The share price of luxury goods group LVMH fell 6.1 percent after Chief Executive Bernard Arnault said he would be cautious about the period ahead.