{"id":58764,"date":"2026-02-19T04:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/european-markets-flat-as-nestle-gains-offset-airbus-slump-pm-modi-warns-of-ai-deepfakes\/58764\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T04:08:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:08:26","slug":"european-markets-flat-as-nestle-gains-offset-airbus-slump-pm-modi-warns-of-ai-deepfakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/european-markets-flat-as-nestle-gains-offset-airbus-slump-pm-modi-warns-of-ai-deepfakes\/58764\/","title":{"rendered":"European Markets Flat as Nestle Gains Offset Airbus Slump; PM Modi Warns of AI Deepfakes"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>European indices traded nearly flat<\/strong> on Thursday, with the <strong>STOXX 600<\/strong> dipping just <strong>0.03%<\/strong> as gains in consumer staples were offset by a sharp decline in aerospace and insurance sectors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nestle (<a href=\"\/stock\/NESN\">NESN<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>Pernod Ricard (<a href=\"\/stock\/RI\">RI<\/a>)<\/strong> led the winners with gains of <strong>3.6%<\/strong> and <strong>3.0%<\/strong> respectively, while <strong>Airbus (<a href=\"\/stock\/AIR\">AIR<\/a>)<\/strong> shares tumbled <strong>3.9%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spain\u2019s housing market<\/strong> showed robust growth in December, with <strong>mortgage approvals surging 17.4%<\/strong> year-over-year, significantly outperforming the previous month&#39;s <strong>12.4%<\/strong> growth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Switzerland\u2019s industrial sector<\/strong> faced a sharp slowdown in Q4, with <strong>industrial output falling 0.7%<\/strong> year-over-year, a major reversal from the <strong>2.4%<\/strong> growth seen in the prior period.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indian PM Narendra Modi<\/strong> addressed the global <strong>AI Impact Summit<\/strong>, calling for international standards to combat <strong>deepfakes<\/strong> and &quot;destabilizing&quot; fake content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>European equity markets showed little direction in early Thursday trading as investors processed a mix of corporate earnings and diverging economic data from the continent\u2019s major economies. The pan-European <strong>STOXX 600<\/strong> edged down <strong>0.03%<\/strong>, while Britain\u2019s <strong>FTSE 100<\/strong> and France\u2019s <strong>CAC 40<\/strong> saw marginal declines of <strong>0.06%<\/strong> and <strong>0.2%<\/strong> respectively.<\/p>\n<p>In corporate movers, consumer-facing giants provided the primary upward momentum. <strong>Nestle (<a href=\"\/stock\/NESN\">NESN<\/a>)<\/strong> rose <strong>3.6%<\/strong> and <strong>Pernod Ricard (<a href=\"\/stock\/RI\">RI<\/a>)<\/strong> climbed <strong>3.0%<\/strong>, supported by positive sentiment in the food and beverage sector. <strong>Orange (<a href=\"\/stock\/ORA\">ORA<\/a>)<\/strong> also gained <strong>2.5%<\/strong> following its latest updates, while the <strong>London Stock Exchange Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/LSEG\">LSEG<\/a>)<\/strong> added <strong>1.0%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, these gains were capped by significant losses in other sectors. <strong>Airbus (<a href=\"\/stock\/AIR\">AIR<\/a>)<\/strong> shares fell <strong>3.9%<\/strong>, dragging on the French index, while Dutch insurer <strong>Aegon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AGN\">AGN<\/a>)<\/strong> dropped <strong>4.8%<\/strong>. Mining giant <strong>Rio Tinto (<a href=\"\/stock\/RIO\">RIO<\/a>)<\/strong> also struggled, sliding <strong>1.9%<\/strong> as commodity-linked stocks faced pressure.<\/p>\n<p>Economic data from Southern Europe offered a bright spot, as <strong>Spain<\/strong> reported a massive <strong>30.1% year-over-year increase<\/strong> in total mortgage lending for December. <em>The surge in Spanish mortgage approvals to 17.4% suggests a resilient housing market despite broader European economic uncertainty.<\/em> In contrast, <strong>Switzerland<\/strong> reported a contraction in <strong>Q4 industrial output<\/strong>, which fell <strong>0.7%<\/strong>, missing expectations and highlighting the <em>ongoing challenges for export-oriented manufacturing hubs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the global stage, Indian Prime Minister <strong>Narendra Modi<\/strong> opened the <strong>AI Impact Summit<\/strong> in Delhi, warning that <strong>deepfakes<\/strong> and fabricated content are &quot;destabilizing&quot; to open societies. He called for the establishment of clear <strong>watermarking<\/strong> and source standards to protect child safety and maintain digital trust. <em>Modi described AI as one of the &quot;biggest transformations in human history,&quot; urging leaders from over 100 countries to leverage the technology for global welfare.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the currency and central banking space, <strong>Indonesia&#39;s central bank<\/strong> is continuing its push to <strong>lessen reliance on the U.S. dollar<\/strong> in financial dealings. Deputy Governor Destry Damayanti noted that these steps are critical for stabilizing local financial systems. Meanwhile, the <strong>Philippine central bank<\/strong> governor expressed caution, stating that the timing for a full recovery in market confidence remains unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in the automotive sector, <strong>Renault (<a href=\"\/stock\/RNO\">RNO<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Luca de Meo signaled a positive outlook for the alliance with <strong>Nissan (<a href=\"\/stock\/7201\">7201<\/a>)<\/strong>. He noted that a stable <strong>Nissan<\/strong> would create &quot;greater prospects for working together,&quot; suggesting a focus on operational synergy as the industry navigates the transition to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways European indices traded nearly flat on Thursday, with the STOXX 600 dipping just 0.03% as gains in consumer 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