Europe: Stocks Close Mixed in Earnings-Rich Session.

European stock indices lacked a clear direction on Wednesday amid contrasting results from the continent's largest companies. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 dropped 0.2% to 5,982 and the pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2% to a new record high of 619. ASML sank nearly 5% on results published by AMD, while Infineon outperformed the chip sector on its results. In the meantime, Siemens plummeted close to 8% after announcing a $1 billion investment to expand its US manufacturing capabilities. Santander slipped 3.5% after posting its results and announcing it acquired US regional Webster Bank for $12.2 billion. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk plunged 17% after issuing a disappointing forecast for its weight-loss drug. Also, UBS dropped 6% despite posting revenue growth. Lastly, Air Liquid and BASF surged on optimism of softer emission reduction rules in Europe. Banks were broadly higher as inflation in the Eurozone fell, as expected, to maintain a relatively predictable path for the ECB's rate outlook.