European Shares Hold Steady As Bond Yields Ease

(RTTNews) - European stocks held steady on Wednesday as global bond yields pulled back from recent highs and investor focus shifted to minutes from Federal Reserve's July policy meeting due later in the day.

Yields on German and French debt steadied after the 30-year U.S. yield eased to around 5.27 percent from 5.3371 percent reached on Tuesday, the highest in nearly 20 years.

The British pound held steady after data showed U.K. inflation rose as expected in July due to higher household energy prices.

The consumer price index posted an annual growth of 2.9 percent in July, faster than the 2.6 percent rise in June.

The pan-European STOXX 600 was marginally higher at 652.14 after falling 0.7 percent to reach its lowest level in more than two weeks on Tuesday.

The German DAX was marginally higher, and France's CAC 40 rose 0.3 percent while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2 percent.

In corporate news, Straumann shares slumped 6.3 percent. The Swiss dental implants maker reported first-half net profit below analysts' expectations. Sanitary products maker Geberit soared almost 8 percent after reporting better-than-expected second quarter results.

Danish brewer Carlsberg tumbled 4 percent after its first-half 2026 operating results came in below expectations.

Smith & Nephew declined 3.5 percent. The British medical technology company disclosed that its CFO John Rogers has resigned from the board with immediate effect to take a new position in the United States.