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European Equities Close Lower in Wednesday Trading; Brookfield in Talks Again to Acquire Grifols

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Last updated: 04/02/2025 12:07:17

12:07 PM EDT, 04/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed lower in Wednesday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.62%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.66%, the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.30%, France's CAC 40 lost 0.22%, and the Swiss Market Index declined 0.77%.

In Spain, unemployment in March fell by 13,300, compared with a 6,000 drop the previous month, and a 2,500 decline expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg.

And in corporate news, Brookfield Asset Management is discussions again to acquire Spanish biopharmaceutical company Grifols Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The asset management firm dropped a bid in November to buy Grifols after months of negotiations, according to the report. Grifols' board previously turned down an indicative offer valuing the company at 6.45 billion euros ($6.97 billion), Bloomberg reported. Brookfield and Grifols did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

Shares of Grifols rose 3.2% in Wednesday trading in Madrid.

British mining giant BHP Group explored the idea of divesting its Australian iron ore and coal units as part of a broader strategy to focus on copper and potash, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. A domestic listing was seen as the most likely option, similar to BHP's 2015 separation of South32, the report quoted two sources as saying.

BHP Group did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Deutsche Bank's DWS asset manager said Wednesday that it accepts the fine imposed by the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's office after a probe found "deficits" related to the company's past environmental, social and governance statements.

According to media reports, German prosecutors fined DWS 25 million euros ($27 million) for "greenwashing"

Folksam, Sweden's largest insurer, said Wednesday that it has divested its entire stake in Tesla, citing the electric automaker's stance on employees' union rights as a violation of its investment criteria. Folksam said the decision was the result of unsuccessful dialogue and advocacy efforts, which it described as "fruitless."

Irish airline operator Ryanair said Wednesday that it flew 15 million passengers in March, up 10% from 13.6 million a year earlier. The budget European airline said it carried 200.2 million passengers in the year ending March 31, up 9% from 183.7 million a year earlier.

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