On Thursday, retailer Carrefour proposed raising its 2015 dividend by 2.9 percent to 0.70 euros a share after operating profit rose 2.4 percent to 2.445 billion euros ($2.68 billion), in line with a Thomson Reuters poll average of 2.45 billion euros, Reuters reported. Its shares were trading 3 percent lower on Thursday making it one of the worst performers.
In other news, Nasdaq said on Wednesday it would buy U.S. options exchange operator International Securities Exchange for $1.1 billion from Deutsche Boerse, the latest deal to emerge from a spate of exchange merger talks, Reuters reported.
Elsewhere, French bank Societe Generale said on Wednesday it would shed 550 jobs over five years as part of consolidation of its 20 French client treatment centers into 15 sites, Reuters reported.
European shares surge as ECB delivers; Italy up 3% – CNBC