11:58 AM EST, 02/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher in Monday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.65%, Germany's DAX gained 0.67%, the FTSE 100 in London increased 0.87%, France's CAC 40 was up 0.46%, and the Swiss Market Index closed 0.27% higher.

The KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global Monday, shows that the UK labor market's health continues decline so far this year. The report said demand for staff and placements continue to fall.

And in corporate news, Elliott Investment Management has amassed a stake in BP, media reports said Sunday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. BP declined MT Newswires' request for comment, while Elliott Investment Management did not immediately respond to the request. Shares of BP closed 7.4% higher in London.

Microsoft is being investigated by French antitrust regulators over concerns the US tech giant is worsening the quality of results when smaller rival companies pay to use Bing technology in their own search-engine products, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Microsoft did not immediately reply to a request for comment from MT Newswires.

Biodexa Pharmaceuticals said Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted fast track designation for the British biopharmaceutical company's eRapa to treat familial adenomatous polyposis. The designation is intended to expedite the review of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.

TC BioPharm said Monday it completed dosing for the first group B patient in the Achieve phase 2B UK trial assessing TCB008 to treat patients with acute myeloid leukemia. The UK-based biopharmaceutical company said it expects to complete enrollment of the second group in H1, with data readout expected later this year.