12:10 PM EST, 01/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed mixed in Friday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 edged 0.06% lower, Germany's DAX was off 0.12%, the FTSE 100 in London fell 0.73%, France's CAC 40 rose 0.44%, and the Swiss Market Index gained 0.18%.

The seasonally adjusted HCOB Flash Eurozone Composite PMI Output Index rose to 50.2 in January from 49.6 in December, lifting it up above the 50-point mark indicating expansion, according to S&P Global, which releases the index. It was the first increase in monthly business activity in the euro area since August.

In Germany, the HCOB Flash Germany Composite PMI Output Index increased to 50.1 in January from 48.0 in December, which shows business activity expanded for the first time in six months.

In France, the headline HCOB Flash France Composite PMI Output Index rose to 48.3 in January, its highest level in four months, from 47.5 in December. Despite the gain, the index remained below the 50-point mark for a fifth straight month.

In the UK, the headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global Flash UK PMI increased to 50.9 in January from 50.4 in December, which is its highest reading in three months.

And in corporate news, Meta's Facebook, Alphabet's Google, and Snap are being asked by the European Commission to participate in a test to determine if they are doing enough to fight disinformation ahead of next month's German election, Reuters reported Friday, quoting an EU spokesperson. Meta, Alphabet, Snap, and the European Commission didn't immediately respond to requests for comment by MT Newswires.

British oil and gas company Shell said Friday its Shell Energy North America unit completed the acquisition of RISEC Holdings, which owns a 609-megawatt two-unit combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Rhode Island.

Spanish telecommunications operator Telefonica is attracting takeover interest in its Argentina unit, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Telefonica didn't immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Luxury goods stocks rallied in Paris as Pernod Ricard and Kering rose 4.5% each, while Louis Vuitton gained 1.9%.