12:05 PM EDT, 10/24/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed slightly higher in Thursday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.06%, the Swiss Market Index gained 0.21%, France's CAC increased 0.08%, the FTSE in London was up 0.13%, and Germany's DAX closed 0.39% higher.

The seasonally adjusted HCOB Flash Eurozone Composite PMI Output Index compiled by S&P Global nudged higher to 49.7 in October from 49.6 in September. The data indicates that business activity in the euro area decreased for the second straight month, while manufacturing production fell for a 19th consecutive month.

In the UK, the headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global Flash UK PMI Composite Output Index declined to 51.7 in October from 52.6 in September, falling to its lowest score in 11 months.

In France, the business climate index for October declined slightly to 97 from 98 the previous month, according to the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. INSEE also reported that its employment climate indicator fell to 97 in October from 99 in September.

And in corporate news, Alphabet's partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is being investigated by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, which said Thursday that the partnership may result in the "creation of a relevant merger situation" under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002. "Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world," a Google spokesperson told MT Newswires. "Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don't demand exclusive tech rights."

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy drugs, which contain the active ingredient Semaglutide, were associated with "significantly reduced risk" for first-time diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published Thursday by the Alzheimer's Association. Shares of Novo Nordisk closed 1.2% lower in Copenhagen.

And Unilever said Thursday it is taking a "drastic" approach in Indonesia as it has "long-standing issues" despite being an important market. The British consumer goods giant is eliminating pricing stability throughout different channels as it is "resetting" inventory levels in the whole channel landscape, Chief Executive Hein Schumacher said in a Q3 sales/trading statement call, according to a S&P CapIQ transcript. Shares of Unilever closed nearly 3% higher in London.