12:18 PM EST, 01/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets rose Friday as the Stoxx Europe 600 climbed 0.69%, Germany's DAX 40 nudged up 1.20%, the FTSE 100 in London advanced 1.35%, France's CAC 40 was up 0.98%, and the Swiss Market Index gained 0.46%.

In the Euro area, December annual inflation declined to 2.4% compared to 2.9% a year earlier, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The inflation rate was up month over month from 2.2% in November.

Annual inflation in the European Union was 2.7% in December, up from 2.5% in November and down from 3.4% a year earlier. Ireland registered the lowest annual rate of 1% and Romania had the highest at 5.5%.

Euro area recorded a current account surplus of 27 billion euros in November 2024, compared to 30 billion euros in October, according to the European Central Bank.

The 12-month current account surplus stood at 412 billion euros in November, up from 225 billion euros a year earlier.

In the UK, retail sales volume estimates fell by 0.3% in December as declines in supermarkets were partially offset by an increase in non-food stores, according to the Office for National Statistics. Q4 sales volumes fell 0.8% compared with Q3 2024 but were up 1.9% against Q4 2023.

Smiths Group's shareholder Engine Capital has asked the directors to commit to a strategic alternative process as the company persistently traded at a 'conglomerate discount' to its sum of the parts and segment-level peers. Engine said it believes sale of the company or its four businesses can result in a significant premium to the current share price.

Carnival's Seabourn brand unveiled itineraries offering six voyages between August and October 2026 to the Northwest Passage and Canadian Arctic. The offers range from eight to 24 days.

Avolta's board of directors launched a 200 million Swiss Franc share buyback program. The company expects to start the program before the end of January and plans to close it no later than Dec. 31.