12:01 PM EDT, 10/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed mostly lower in Thursday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 lost 0.43%, the FTSE 100 was down 0.41%, France's CAC declined 0.23%, and the Swiss Market Index dropped 0.31%, while Germany's DAX gained 0.06%.

In Germany, calendar-and-seasonally adjusted exports fell 0.5% in August, compared with July, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Analysts polled by Bloomberg were expecting a 0.3% increase for the month. Meanwhile, imports fell 1.3% from July, which was well off analyst forecasts of a 0.5% decline.

Compared with a year earlier, exports decreased 0.7%, while imports rose 3.5%

In corporate news, HSBC said Thursday that the company and its subsidiary, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp, have proposed to take over and privatize Hang Seng Bank in a deal valuing the company at 290 billion Hong Kong dollars ($37.27 billion).

If the proposed scheme of arrangement is approved, HSBC would acquire all remaining shares of Hang Seng held by minority shareholders and Hang Seng shares would be delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The proposal would offer Hang Seng shareholders HK$155 for each share, a 33% premium over the 30-day average closing price of HK$116.5 per share.

"This offer is final and will not be increased further," the company said.

Shares of the HSBC dropped nearly 5% on the FTSE 100 in London.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk said Thursday that it is acquiring Akero Therapeutics in a deal valued at up to $5.2 billion in cash.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company said its shareholders will receive $54 per share upfront and a non-transferable contingent value right entitling its holder to receive an additional $6 per share if Akero's drug, efruxifermin, receives full US approval for cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by June 30, 2031, the drugmaker said.

Shares of Novo Nordisk declined 1.3% in Copenhagen.

Ferrari said Thursday that its 2030 product line-up will comprise 40% internal combustion engines, 40% hybrid and 20% electric vehicles. In 2022, the company had targeted 40% EVs, 40% hybrids and 20% ICE models by 2030. Ferrari also said Thursday its first fully electric model, Elettrica, will begin deliveries in late 2026.

Ferrari said it expects to cut, in absolute terms, Scope 3 emissions by at least 25% by 2030, compared with last year.

Shares of the Italian luxury sportscar manufacturer fell more than 15% in Milan.

Dutch semiconductor company ASML said early Thursday it appointed Marco Pieters as chief technology officer, effective immediately. Pieters previously was the company's executive vice president of product area applications.

ASML shares were off 0.2% in Amsterdam.