LONDON — European stock markets closed higher on Thursday as global investors assessed the latest U.S. jobs data.
U.S. private sector hiring rose less than expected in August, data released Thursday showed, bolstering the case for a September rate cut.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed 0.6% higher, led by media and telecoms stocks, both up nearly 2%. Stocks on Wall Street were also higher.
Orsted on the attack
Shares of Danish renewable energy firm Orsted closed 0.7% higher after earlier rising by up to 4%, as the company sued the Trump administration to prevent it from blocking completion of a wind farm off the coast of New England.
It comes a day before Orsted is set to hold an extraordinary general meeting to update shareholders on its attempted capital raise.
Orsted on Monday announced it would receive almost $1 billion in fresh capital from Norwegian oil giant Equinor, part of its planned 60 billion Danish krone ($9.4 billion) rights issue, as it grapples with sustained attacks on its offshore wind projects stateside.
Travel stocks weigh
Elsewhere in Europe, travel stocks were the worst performers, down 0.8%. The sector was dragged down by an update from airline Jet2, which said it expected earnings before interest and taxes to come in at the lower end of a £449 million-£496 million ($603 million-$666.8 million) consensus range this financial year.
Customers are leaving bookings later, reducing the company's visibility over the remainder of summer with "much of winter seat capacity still to sell," it said, also announcing plans to reduce the number of seats it plans to sell for the coming season and to "maintain attractive pricing."
Shares slipped more than 20% in early deals but ended around 13% lower.
French pharmaceutical group Sanofi dropped 8%, meanwhile, after JPMorgan analysts called results from its latest dermatitis drug study weaker than expected.
— CNBC's Spencer Kimball, Sam Meredith and Alex Harring contributed to this report.