LONDON: European stocks neared record highs today on optimism around several countries easing economic restrictions, falling unemployment rate in the UK and strong earnings reports from companies.
The German DAX hit a record high in early trading and Italy’s FTSE MIB added 0.9% to fresh pre-pandemic levels. “Should we have inflation globally, then cyclical stocks see better performance normally than growth stocks,” UniCredit strategist Christian Stocker said. UK stocks cheered data that showed Britain’s unemployment rate fell more than expected to 4.8% in the first quarter when the country was under a tight lockdown, while hiring rose further in April.