The FTSE Eurofirst 300 managed to notch an 0.2 percent gain on Tuesday to close at 1,487.30 despite losses in the oil sector.
While the continuing drop in crude oil prices hurt the oil companies, the falling prices helped airlines see gains. Air France-KLM was up 0.5 percent to €34.51, while Alitalia gained 1.5 percent to €1.08 and Iberia added 1.7 percent to €2.95. Amid rumors that Lufthansa could be interested in buying SAS, the Scandinavian carrier added 6.1 percent to SKr139 and Lufthansa gained 1.5 percent to €22.35. The talk of a possible deal has been circulating since Sweden’s newly elected government said in September that they might be interested in selling its stake in SAS.
The chemicals sector was also helped by falling oil prices. BASF was 0.6 percent higher to €73.42, while Akzo Nobel added 1.4 percent to €47.96.
Share prices dropped, however, in the oil sector. Total fell 1.2 percent to €34.51, while Repsol-YPF was 1.9 percent lower to €25.47, Statoil dropped 3.2 percent to NKr153 and Cepsa was down 3.9 percent to ¥54.80.
Elsewhere, Philips Electronics added 1.8 percent to €28.51 when it said it would begin an announced share buyback on 22 January, while France Telecom gained 2.7 percent to €22.25 on an upgrade from “neutral” to “buy” from UBS.