(Bloomberg) -- European stocks edged higher supported by sectors with heavy exposure to China as Beijing announced further monetary and fiscal stimulus plans.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index closed 0.1% higher in London after China’s top leaders said they will embrace a “moderately loose” monetary policy next year. Luxury stocks rallied on the news, with watchmaker Richemont gaining as much as 4.1%, LVMH and Burberry rising more than 3%. The basic resources sub-index surged more than 3%.
The news from China “has clearly surprised to the positive side,” said Geoffrey Yu, senior macro strategist at BNY. “The need to improve demand and consumption is extremely clear, rather than a simple story of investment.”
The mood seems to be more upbeat for European stocks going into the year end. The Stoxx 600 is on an eight-day winning streak, its best since May, and its strength is broadening across sectors.
In addition, French stocks seem to have shrugged off recent political turmoil, with the blue-chip index CAC 40 gaining for eight straight sessions, its best run since February.
Traders are now looking ahead to the European Central Bank’s interest-rate decision on Thursday, with a quarter-point reduction priced in by the market. The focus also remains on geopolitical developments in the Middle East, with the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s rule in Syria leaving a power vaccum.
Among single stocks, DocMorris AG shares dropped after Zuercher Kantonalbank cut its recommendation on the Swiss pharmaceutical products retailer to market perform, citing a liquidity shortage.
CVC Capital Partners Plc offered to take CompuGroup Medical SE & Co. KGaA private in a deal that values the German software provider at €1.18 billion ($1.2 billion), shares jumped as much as 34%.
For more on equity markets:
- Everyone Is Chasing Year-End Gains, Even in Europe: Taking Stock
- M&A Watch Asia: Macquarie, PTT, Korea Zinc, UltraTech, Goodix
- US Stock Futures Unchanged
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--With assistance from Michael Msika and Julien Ponthus.
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