Analysis of European stocks on the stock market

How to choose the best European stocks :

Because of the diversity of the important financial centres in Europe, it is difficult to know which stocks to focus on.

In order to find stocks that may be interesting to buy, sell or to include in your stock portfolio, it is essential to evaluate different criteria, of which the following are a few specific examples:

• Financial health: First of all, it goes without saying that if you wish to buy one or more European shares or trade upwards on their price, you will have to take care to check the financial health and stability of the companies listed on this market. To do this, you will carry out an analysis based on the balance sheets that you can find online on the websites of these companies and which are published annually and quarterly. Don't forget also to compare the observed figures with expectations and targets, where available.
• The performance and return on equity : Of course, the history of the shares of these European companies is also a criterion of choice. You can therefore prefer to choose shares with an interesting performance, i.e. whose price is rising over the more or less long term, or so-called yield shares, i.e. shares of companies that pay out attractive dividends to their shareholders. It all depends on the strategy you adopt and your objective.
• The analysis of the sector of activity in which these shares are listed is also important since, depending on the periods and the economic environment, some sectors will be more interesting or more liquid and volatile than others. This sector analysis requires certain information and knowledge of the major economic data of the European Union.
• Finally, it is also possible to choose to invest in stocks for which current events are profitable. Indeed, there are many upward or downward movements in the stock market prices of certain securities during major events such as takeovers, repurchases, sales, mergers or strategic partnerships. Similarly, a company that is targeted or involved in a high-profile deal will have a better chance of attracting investors and may prove to be a wise choice. Ideally, you should therefore keep up to date with the latest news in each sector and the major companies listed on European stock market indices in order to detect opportunities.

However, we remind you that you are free to choose the title(s) that seem(s) best suited to your needs.

The European quotation places in detail :

A stock exchange, also known as a "financial centre", is a place, physical or virtual, where different assets are listed. In this case and for what we are interested in, these stock exchanges are in charge of listing the shares of major European companies.

Generally, these quotation places are located in major European cities, recognised as major players in the economy. These cities are most often chosen on the basis of their accessibility and the infrastructure they have in place to facilitate exchanges and for their financial institutions.

Although many European listings are in capital cities, this is not necessarily the case, as you can see from the list below.

List of the main European stock exchanges :

Most of the shares you will be able to trade online on the stock exchange come from the major international stock exchanges. Some of the most popular of these stocks in the eyes of investors are those listed on European exchanges. To help you understand this, we have decided to give you a list of European stock exchanges and some information about them here.

There are many more major European stock exchanges than one might have thought at the outset. Here is a list of all the stock exchanges and possibly the stock exchange index attached to them:

• The Amsterdam stock exchange with the AEX and AMX indices.
• The Athens stock exchange with the ATHEX 20 index.
• The Belgrade stock exchange with the Belex 15 stock market index.
• The Brussels stock exchange with the BEL 20 stock exchange index.
• The Budapest stock exchange with the BUX stock exchange index.
• The Bulgarian stock exchange.
• The Cyprus Main Market (CYMAIN) stock market index.
• The Frankfurt stock exchange with the DAX stock exchange index.
• Iceland's stock exchange with the OMX Iceland All Share Index.
• The Istanbul stock exchange with the ISE 100 stock market index.
• The Lisbon stock exchange with the PSI 20 stock market index.
• The Luxembourg stock exchange with the LUXx stock exchange index.
• The Madrid stock exchange with the Ibex 35 stock market index.
• Malta is listed on the Maltex stock exchange index.
• The Milan stock exchange with the FTSE MIB stock market index.
• The Moscow stock exchange with the RTS stock exchange index.
• The Oslo stock exchange with the OBX stock exchange index.
• The Prague Stock Exchange with the PX stock exchange index.
• The Warsaw Stock Exchange with the WIG 20 stock market index.
• The Vienna Stock Exchange with the WBI stock exchange index.
• The Zurich stock exchange with the SMI stock exchange index.
• The Paris stock exchange with the CAC 40 stock market index.
• The London stock exchange with the FTSE stock market index.

Summary of the criteria to be assessed to detect the best European stocks?

As we have seen above, the European equities that are most popular with investors are often the best-performing stocks. But there are also other criteria to consider before deciding on which European stock to place your orders.

Indeed, depending on the duration of your strategy, you will be able to choose between securities with strong short or long term trends. It goes without saying that a stock that follows a certain trend over the long term will not necessarily show a very marked movement in the short term. Therefore, if you favour short-term strategies, you should analyse the short-term trends of the equity assets you choose.

You should also give preference to shares that you know well enough and whose sector of activity is not unfamiliar to you. This will give you a better chance of carrying out a good analysis of their share price and thus of implementing intelligent and optimal strategies.

Some short-term traders are also interested in companies that are in the news because of their interesting volatility at a specific time. To find interesting stocks, it is indeed necessary to look at the stock market as a whole and to take into account events that may favour or disadvantage a sector of activity or certain companies.

In all cases and before trading in one or more European equities, you must make relevant and accurate analyses of these securities, from both a fundamental and technical point of view, and thus make a more or less reliable assessment of their potential for growth or decline.

Frequently Asked Questions