12:10 PM EDT, 04/25/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher in Friday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 was up 0.34%, Germany's DAX rose 0.78%, the FTSE 100 edged 0.09% higher, France's CAC 40 increased 0.45%, and the Swiss Market Index advanced 0.21%.

The EU may change its 15% minimum corporate tax law to ease tensions with the Trump administration, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a document circulated by Poland. EU officials are set to discuss policy options in a meeting on Tuesday that may significantly change the way the bloc applies its minimum tax law, the report said.

The European Commission didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by MT Newswires.

In the UK, retail sales volumes rose an estimated 0.4% in March, compared with a 0.7% increase in February, according to the Office for National Statistics. Clothing and outdoor retailers reported increased sales due to good weather, which were partly offset by declines in supermarket sales.

In France, the business climate index edged slightly lower to 96.4 in April from 96.6 in March, according to the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, which said "the business climate in France remains gloomy." The index remains below its long-term average of 100.

And in corporate news, Spanish banks, including Banco Santander, BBVA, and CaixaBank, are reportedly seeking to spread the annual windfall tax payment over four quarters instead of making a single upfront payment, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Representatives from Santander, BBVA, and CaixaBank did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Camurus said Friday the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended the approval of Oczyesa to treat patients with acromegaly, a disease stemming from the pituitary gland. The Swedish biopharmaceutical company said a final decision on the market authorization is expected from the European Commission mid-year. Shares of Camurus edged 0.2% higher in Stockholm trading.

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