12:18 PM EDT, 07/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher in Monday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 increased 1.00%, the Swiss Market Index rose 1.01%, France's CAC climbed 1.16%, the FTSE in London was up 0.53%, and Germany's DAX closed 1.29% higher.

The seasonally adjusted general government deficit to GDP ratio was 3.2% in the euro area and 3.0% in the EU in Q1, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This is down from 4.0% and 3.9% respectively in Q4 of 2023.

Eurostat also reported that the general government gross debt to GDP ratio in the euro area was 88.7% as of the end of Q1, compared with 88.2% at the end of the previous quarter. In the EU, the ratio increased to 82.0% in Q1 from 81.5% in Q4 of 2023.

And in corporate news, French media company Vivendi said Monday that it will list its French pay TV channel Canal Plus in London, while it will list its public relations firm Havas on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange. Vivendi also said it has formed a new company comprised of its publishing and distribution assets, called Louis Hachette Group, which it will list on the Euronext Growth market in Paris.

Irish airline operator Ryanair reported fiscal Q1 2025 diluted earnings of 0.31 euro ($0.34) per ordinary share, down from 0.58 euro a year earlier. Total operating revenue for the quarter ended June 30 was 3.63 billion euros, down from 3.65 billion euros a year earlier.

Shares of British business services group Rentokil led the FTSE higher in London, climbing nearly 8% on a Sunday Times report that said the company is a target for takeover by private equity firms, which plan to install elecoms giant BT's former chief executive Philip Jansen as executive chairman.

L Catterton, a US-based private equity firm 40%-owned by French luxury goods company LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has agreed to acquire British property developer Hammerson's ownership stake in Value Retail, an outlet mall landlord, for an enterprise value of 1.50 billion pounds ($1.94 billion), according to media reports.