Stoxx 600: Calm on the surface, but fierce long and short battles underneath

ME News reports that the average forecast from 17 analysts shows that the European Stoxx 600 will close at 623 points by the end of the year, up about 1% from Wednesday's close. The index has essentially recovered the losses caused by the Iran war, but many believe the rebound will be difficult to sustain, and the full impact of energy costs has not yet been realized. Deutsche Bank, DekaBank, UBS, and Yúxìn Bank have lowered their targets, while HSBC is the most optimistic, with a target of 670 points (about an 8% increase). TFS Futures and Bank of America remain the most bearish, predicting about a 9% decline.