Additional European Equity News

Airbus (AIR FP) - France's aviation authority asked airlines to cancel 15% of flights due to heavy snowfall. (Newswires)

AstraZeneca (AZN LN) - Saphnelo self-administration TULIP-SC trial demonstrates statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity (AstraZeneca) 

Bakkafrost (BAKKA NO) - Q4 farming harvest of 23.3k tonnes in the Faroe Islands, beating estimates. (Bakkafrost)

Bayer (BAYN GY) - Co. receives breakthrough designation in the US and China for sevabertinib as a first-line treatment for patients with HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. (Newswires)  

GSK (GSK LN) - Exdensur drug approved in Japan. (GSK)     

InPost (IPST NA) - Co. announces that it has received an indicative proposal regarding a potential acquisition of all shares in the Company.(InPost) 

Maurel & Prom (MAU FP) - Closing of the Acquisition of a 61% Interest in the Sinu-9 Gas Permit in Colombia. The transactions comprise two acquisitions, for a total consideration of USD 229mln. (Maurel & Prom). 

Prudential (PRU LN) - Co. launches a USD 1.2bln share buyback programme. (Prudential)   

Rank (RNK LN) - CEO O'Reilly to retire; names CFO Harris as interim CEO, effective Jan 30th. (Rank) 

Next (NXT LN) - Q4 Trading Update (GBP): Full Price Sales +10.6% Y/Y (9-weeks to 27 Dec), vs guidance of +7%. UK Sales +5.9%; International Sales +38.3%. Guidance: Increases FY PBT guidance to 1.15bln (prev. guided 1.135bln). Full Price Sales 5.60bln (prev. guided 5.55bln). (Next) 

Standard Chartered (STAN LN) - Co. to sell USD-denominated 4-year and 11-year notes (Newswires) 

Unicredit (UCG IM) - Co. increases its direct stake and voting rights in Alpha Bank to around 29.8%. (Unicredit)

BAE Systems (BA/ LN) upgraded to Hold from Reduce at Kepler Cheuvreux

Brenntag (BNR GY) downgraded at Morgan Stanley Shares -2% in pre-market trade

Dassault Aviation (AM FP) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Societe Generale

Orange (ORA FP) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Citi

Rentokil Initial (RTO LN) upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley

Thales (HO FP) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Societe Generale

Thyssenkrupp Nucera (NCH2 GY) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank