11:58 AM EDT, 10/07/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed mostly higher in Monday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.17%, the Swiss Market Index was up 0.10%, France's CAC rose 0.46%, the FTSE in London increased 0.28%, while Germany's DAX was off 0.14%.

Seasonally adjusted retail trade volume increased 0.2% in the euro area and 0.3% in the European Union in August relative to July, according to preliminary estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. Compared with a year earlier, the calendar adjusted retail sales index was up 0.8% in the euro area and 1.0% in the EU.

In the UK, house prices rose for the third straight month in September, increasing 0.3% to 293,399 British pounds ($383,918) from August, and were up 4.7% from a year earlier, according to latest Halifax House Price Index report.

In Germany, seasonally and calendar-adjusted incoming orders in the manufacturing sector fell 5.8% in August relative to July, while calendar-adjusted incoming orders were down 3.9% from a year earlier, according to the German Federal Statistical Office.

And in corporate news, BP has abandoned its goal to cut oil and gas output by 2030 as CEO Murray Auchincloss scales back the oil major's energy transition strategy to regain investor confidence, Reuters reported on Monday, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter. The company did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment

Equinor said Monday it has acquired a 9.8% stake in Danish renewable energy company Orsted worth $2.5 billion. The Norwegian petroleum refiner said the deal makes it the second largest investor in Orsted after the Danish state.

French energy company TotalEnergies said Monday that it has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in two offshore wind projects in the North Sea from German energy company RWE. The projects have 25-year licenses awarded in August, which are subject to a possible 35-year extension. Financial terms were not disclosed.

British mining company Rio Tinto is in discussions to buy lithium miner Arcadium, Reuters reported Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Arcadium and Rio Tinto didn't immediately respond to requests for comment by MT Newswires.

And AstraZeneca said Monday that a phase 3b trial studying Airsupra met its primary endpoint. The British pharmaceutical company said the results showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of severe exacerbation using Airsupra compared to albuterol to treat patients with intermittent or mild persistent asthma.