European stocks traded mixed in a light trading session Thursday, as traders grew optimistic a Brexit trade deal would be reached. Britain’s FTSE 100 closed up by around 0.1 percent after a choppy holiday-shortened session, while France’s CAC lost nearly 0.2 percent. The German and Italian markets are closed for Christmas Eve. British bank shares were some of the top performers as traders bet a deal would be agreed soon, with Lloyds climbing 4 percent, Barclays rising by 1.8 percent and Natwest up by 1.2 percent.

Source: The Standard December 24, 2020 13:07 UTC