Dec 24 (Reuters) – European shares were muted on Wednesday after closing at a new record high in the previous session, as trading remained thin in a holiday-shortened session.
The pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 588.93 at 0809 GMT, after hitting back-to-back record highs this week.
Trading volumes are expected to be thin heading into the holidays, with many markets either shut or working reduced hours on Christmas Eve.
Bourses in Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris will have half-day trading sessions, while those in Germany and Milan are closed.
The STOXX 600 reached a historic peak on Tuesday, primarily driven by robust healthcare stocks after pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk secured crucial U.S. approval for its weight-loss pill.
Market sentiment also got a boost after U.S. data showed the economy expanded at a much faster-than-expected clip in the third quarter.
On Wednesday, commodity-linked shares provided support, with energy companies up 0.4%, as oil prices rose for a sixth consecutive session.
BP was up 1% after it agreed to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to investment firm Stonepeak for about $6 billion.
Miners were up 0.1% after prices of precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum and copper all hit record highs in metal markets frenzy.
(Reporting by Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
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