Stocks: Wednesday’s review

European stocks advanced for a third day, as gains by Veolia Environnement SA, SAP AG and carmakers, as well as a decline in applications for U.S. jobless benefits offset the failure of euro-region policy makers to reach a decision on assisting debt-laden Greece.

Veolia Environnement rose 1.3 percent after getting approval for the sale of its U.S. waste-management business. SAP AG climbed 2 percent. Fiat SpA climbed 1.6 percent. Johnson Matthey (JMAT) Plc slumped 5.8 percent after it reported a drop in first-half profit. Imagination Technologies Group Plc slipped 3.9 percent as it said that it will monitor mobile chip designer CEVA Inc.’s counter bid for MIPS Technologies Inc.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) rose 0.2 percent to 270.11 at the close of trading.

FTSE 100 5,752.03 +3.93 +0.07% CAC 40 3,477.36 +15.30 +0.44% DAX 7,184.71 +11.72 +0.16%

Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week as damage to the labor market caused by superstorm Sandy began to subside.

Jobless claims decreased by 41,000 to 410,000 in the week ended Nov. 17, the Labor Department reported today in Washington.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of U.S. consumer sentiment for November rose to 82.7 from 82.6 at the end of last month.

Veolia Environnement (VIE) advanced 1.3 percent to 7.90 euros. The world’s largest water company said it obtained approval from the Department of Justice for the sale of its U.S. waste- management business for $1.91 billion, which will cut its debt by $1.84 billion.

SAP, the largest maker of enterprise-management software, added 2 percent to 58.82 euros, its highest price since Sept. 5, as Salesforce.com Inc. reported third quarter earnings per share in line with analysts’ estimates and raised forecasts for 2013 and 2014.

BG Group Plc, the U.K.’s third-largest natural gas provider, rose 2.8 percent to 1,060 pence amid takeover speculation reported in The Independent newspaper.

Swiss Life Holding AG (SLHN) gained 6.1 percent to 124.20 Swiss francs. Switzerland’s biggest life insurer may write down almost half the value of its German broker unit AWD Holding AG, an analyst survey showed.

Royal KPN NV (KPN), the former Dutch phone monopoly, added 6.8 percent to 4.26 euros. Moody’s Investors Service Inc. said European cable operators’ revenues will grow by between 5 percent and 6 percent in 2013.

Johnson Matthey, which makes a third of all auto-catalysts, tumbled 5.8 percent to 2,190 pence, its lowest in almost four months, after it reported a 2.2 percent drop in first-half profit as platinum prices slid, and forecast “similar” results in the second six months of its fiscal year. Net income was 145.7 million pounds ($232 million) in the six months ended Sept. 30, compared with 149 million pounds a year earlier, the London-based company said.

Siemens AG fell 1.3 percent to 77.60 euros after Deutsche Bank AG cut its rating on Europe’s largest engineering company to sell from hold, and reduced its price target on the shares to 65 euros from 75 euros, citing threats to its 2014 margin target, including low growth prospects.