12:16 PM EDT, 05/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed mostly lower in Thursday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 was down 0.22%, the Swiss Market Index fell 0.46%, France's CAC dropped 0.88%, Germany's DAX was off 0.20%, while the FTSE in London gained 0.63%.

The eurozone's manufacturing economy remained in contraction in April, according to the HCOB Eurozone Manufacturing PMI, a monthly gauge of eurozone factories' overall health compiled by S&P Global. The indicator registered below the 50-point contraction threshold for the 22nd straight month during April as it declined to 45.7 from 46.1 in March.

The highest readings were in Greece and Spain at 55.2 and 52.2 respectively, followed by the Netherlands at 51.3. The lowest readings were in Germany and Austria, at 42.5 and 43.5 respectively, followed by France at 45.3.

In Switzerland, the consumer price index rose 0.3% in April from March, and was up 1.4% compared with the same month a year earlier, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

In Italy, industrial producer prices decreased 0.2% in March compared to the previous month, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics. Compared to the same month a year ago, industrial producer prices declined 9.6%.

And in corporate news, French digital business services provider Teleperformance led the gainers on the CAC in Paris, climbing almost 14% higher after it reported a nearly 27% increase in Q1 sales and said that it is on track to reach its our annual targets.

Shares of UK bank Standard Chartered led the gainers on the FTSE, rising nearly 9% in London after it reported double-digit income growth in Q1, followed by Irish packaging company Smurfit Kappa, which closed almost 6% higher after it reported "very strong" Q1 results.

And German pharmaceutical giant Bayer's Monsanto unit won a legal appeal that reversed a $185 million verdict against the agrochemical company, which called the ruling "very significant." Shares of Bayer closed 3% higher on the DAX.

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