European Stocks End with Small Gains

European stocks ended with small gains Monday. The Stoxx 600 index closed 0.1 percent higher, with the banking sector leading the sectoral gains, but the real estate sector fell 1.4 percent and the utilities sector fell 0.5 percent. German stocks fell 0.1 percent after factory orders fell more than expected in August. The German Economy Ministry separately said that the European Union's largest economy is expected to shrink by 0.2 percent in 2024, for the second year in a row. Among individual stocks, Orsted jumped 6 percent after Equinor bought a stake worth about $2.5 billion in the Danish wind energy company, and Equinor's shares fell 3.4 percent. Source: Qatar News Agency