12:01 PM EDT, 09/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed mostly higher in Thursday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.61%, Germany's DAX rose 0.74%, the FTSE 100 was up 0.42%, and the Swiss Market Index increased 1.50%, while France's CAC % was off 0.27%.

The eurozone construction sector continued to decline in August, albeit at a smaller rate of contraction compared with July, according to the HCOB Eurozone Construction PMI Total Activity Index. The index, which gauges total industry activity, rose to 46.7 in August from 44.7 in July, but remained in contraction territory and has fallen consistently for 40 months.

In the UK, the headline S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index, which tracks changes in total industry activity, rose to 45.5 in August from 44.3 in July. Despite the increase, the index remained below the 50.0-point threshold indicating growth versus contraction.

In Switzerland, the consumer price index declined 0.1% in August from July and was up 0.2% compared with a year earlier, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. The FSO attributed the monthly decrease to lower prices for international package holidays, supplementary accommodation, and air transport.

And in corporate news, Sanofi said Thursday that a phase 3 study in adults and adolescents with atopic dermatitis met all primary and key secondary endpoints. However, the improvement was less than its current top-selling drug for the same condition, Dupixent, according to media reports.

Shares of the French pharmaceutical company fell 8.3% in Paris.

Lloyds Banking will scrutinize around 3,000 of its 63,000 employees for possible dismissal over poor performance, news outlets reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Lloyds expects to cut about half of the poor performers unless their work improves, Reuters reported, according to an unnamed source.

"We are transforming our business," a Lloyds spokesperson said in a statement emailed to MT Newswires. "We are striving to embed a high-performance culture in the organization. To achieve this, and in line with wider industry practice, we continuously look for ways to help our colleagues perform at their best."

Shares of the British bank rose 2.1% on the FTSE 100.

Tesla's new car registrations in the UK increased about 7.6% year over year in August, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires.

Luxury goods stocks were down sharply as Louis Vuitton dropped 4.2% on the CAC 40, followed by Pernod Ricard and Kering, which lost 2.7% and 1.6% respectively. Burberry Group's stock fell 2% in London, while Salvatore Ferragamo and Moncler each lost 2.2% in Milan.