UK’s midcaps index outperformed with its 0.8 per cent jump, boosted by a surge in shares of Pets at Home Group Plc after the company forecast full-year underlying pretax profit towards the top end of current market view. — Reuters pic
Irish shares of CRH rose nearly 3 per cent after the building materials supplier posted a rise in quarterly profit on a like-for-like basis helped by strong demand and pricing which it expects to continue in 2020.After a sluggish start, the STOXX 600 index gradually crept up 0.1 per cent as major US stock indexes notched record highs.
“US-China relations continue to drive markets,” said Joshua Mahony, Senior Market Analyst at IG. “A call between the US and China provided a renewed focus on getting that first stage deal across the line.”