stocks, data and inflation reports

Germany’s harmonized consumer price inflation rate eased to 2.7% on an annual basis in February, according to preliminary figures published by the federal statistics office on Thursday. Compared to the previous month, inflation was up 0.6%.

This was in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters.

The decline in inflation mirrored regional inflation data released by several German states earlier in the day that indicated price pressures would also ease on a national level.

In January, inflation rose 3.1% from a year earlier, and fell 0.2% from the previous month.

The statistics office said energy prices were sharply lower despite energy price caps being halted, and the rise of food costs was significantly slower compared to a year earlier.

German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck last week said the government was expecting price rises to ease throughout 2024 before returning to the 2% target range in 2025.

— Sophie Kiderlin

British health-care firm Haleon topped Stoxx 600 gains in early trade, up 7.8% after reporting full-year revenue growth of 4.1%, and operating profit growth of 9.4%.

The company said it expected its dividend to grow at least in line with adjusted earnings, as it flagged that the operating environment would remain challenging in 2024.

Howden Joinery was another top performer, also up nearly 8%, on strong full-year results showing 30.8% operating profit growth.

German manufacturer Aixtron meanwhile slid 13.7% despite beating consensus expectations on fourth-quarter revenue and meeting growth guidance for the full year, as it said it expected to grow revenue and profit in the year ahead.

— Jenni Reid

An outperforming fund manager that beat the S&P 500 for two years in a row has named cheap stocks that could ‘easily double’.

The fund returned 31% in 2023 compared to 24% for the S&P 500. It also outperformed in 2022 with 1.8% total return when the U.S. benchmark nearly fell into a bear market.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Ganesh Rao

Healthcare companies have gained traction in the past year, with investors piling into likes of weight-loss drug manufacturers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

One firm in the wider ecosystem that’s perhaps lesser known stands out to fund manager Freddie Lait, however.

“[It’s a] great example of the sort of things we’re looking for – if I’m honest, it’s a business I’ve been watching for about 10 years,” the chief investment officer at Latitude Investment Management told CNBC Pro Talks on Feb. 21.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Amala Balakrishner

European markets are set to open higher Thursday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 9 points higher at 7,627, Germany’s DAX up 13 points at 17,608, France’s CAC 9 points higher at 7,958 and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 9 points at 32,689, according to data from IG. 

Earnings are set to come from AF-KLM, Veolia, Adecco Group, EDP, IAG, Ocado, ITV, Man Group, Schroders, Covestro and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Data releases include French and German inflation figures for February.

— Holly Ellyatt