12:42 PM EDT, 08/15/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher on Thursday as the Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1.15%, the Swiss Market Index gained 0.65%, France's CAC climbed 1.23%, the FTSE in London was up 0.80%, and Germany's DAX closed 1.66% higher.

In the UK, real GDP grew an estimated 0.6% in Q2, compared with the previous quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS attributed the growth to the services sector.

In Switzerland, the producer and import price index remained unchanged in July from June at 107.2 points, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office.

And in corporate news, UBS has decided to liquidate the Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund International amid limited liquidity in real estate markets, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.

Meanwhile a consortium led by Sixth Street Partners has agreed to buy from UBS Credit Suisse's US mortgage servicing business, Bloomberg reported Thursday. UBS declined to comment to MT Newswires.

Barclays reportedly had planned to pull out of Israeli government bond auctions over pressure from pro-Palestinian activists, the Financial Times reported. However, the British lender decided otherwise following internal discussions.

A spokesperson for Barclays told MT Newswires that it was "preparing a response" to the country's request for bids on the next bond sale, which is due next week.

Shares of Admiral Group climbed 6.5% in Thursday trading in London after the firm reported a 35% increase in earnings per share and a 43% rise in revenue in H1 compared with the year-ago period.

AstraZeneca said Thursday its supplemental biologics license application for Imfinzi has been granted priority review in the US. Shares of the British biopharmaceutical firm rose 2% on the FTSE.

And, Novo Nordisk submitted a notice of appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, after a federal district judge rejected its arguments against the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical company closed 2.3% higher on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.