By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets broke a five-day
losing streak on Friday, with banks bouncing back after an ugly
selloff spurred by troubles at the Portuguese Espirito Santo
conglomerate.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index gained 0.2% to close at 336.91,
trimming its weekly slide to 3.2%. That weekly loss, however, was
still the largest since mid-March.
The benchmark dropped 1.1% on Thursday, when concerns about the
robustness of Espirito Santo International (ESI) sent shivers
through the European financial sector. Trading in shares of Banco
Espirito Santo SA (BES) and Espirito Santo Financial Group SA --
subsidiaries of ESI -- was halted on Thursday and only BES resumed
trade on Friday. After an initial jump, shares dropped 5.5%. Read:
Portugal's banking turmoil revives darkest nightmares about
Europe
BES on Friday disclosed it has an exposure of 1.18 billion euros
($1.6 billion) to the Espirito Santo conglomerate through loans and
securities, but added that its capital buffer is EUR2.1 billion
euros above the minimum regulatory level for European banks.
Portugal's PSI 20 index closed at the lowest level since October
amid the tumult on Thursday, but climbed 0.6% to 6,142.87 on
Friday. The Lisbon benchmark plunged 10% for the week, marking the
worst weekly performance since May 2010.
Portuguese bonds also rebounded, with the yield on 10-year
government bond paper falling 12 basis points to 3.85%. The yield
traded close to 4% on Thursday, reflecting investor nervousness
that the Espirito Santo chaos could spread further to Portugal's
financial system.
"Portugal gave a timely reminder to markets of the presence of
risk, and the specific challenges euro-area banks pose to the
euro-area economy," UBS economist Paul Donovan said in a note. "If
markets become more volatile, that volatility can create contagion
via capital requirements for other banks."
Southern European banks also rebounded after sharp losses, with
shares of Banca Popolare di Milano Scarl up 3.1% Banca Popolare
dell'Emilia Romagna Scarl rising 2% and BNP Paribas SA climbing
1.4%.
Indesit Co. SpA rose 2.9% in Milan after Whirlpool Corp. (WHR)
agreed to pay EUR758 million euros for a controlling stake in the
appliance maker.
Italy's FTSE MIB index jumped 0.6% to 20,614.86, while Spain's
IBEX 35 index climbed 0.1% to 10,538.80.
France's CAC 40 index gained 0.4% to 4,316.50, while Germany's
DAX 30 index closed 0.1% higher at 9,666.34.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index advanced 0.3% to 6,690.17. Imperial
Tobacco Group PLC (ITYBY) rallied 3.1% in London after the tobacco
company confirmed it's in talks buy assets and brands from Reynolds
American Inc. (RAI) and Lorillard Inc. (LO).
Outside the main index in London, shares of Kofax Ltd. (KFX)
tanked 11% after the software provider said its fiscal 2014
earnings will be below expectations.
In data news, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said
output in the construction industry fell by 1.1% in May compared
with April. Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, called the
number disappointing, but said "the official data available so far
and the PMI surveys indicate that the U.K. economy enjoyed another
robust economic expansion in the second quarter."
Annual inflation in Germany rose to 1% in June from 0.6% in May,
confirming an earlier estimate.
And in France, Bank of France figures showed the country's
current-account deficit widened in May.
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