- European shares kicked off the week on a positive note, buoyed by the global oil sector amid fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East and as a raft of upbeat earnings updates also lifted the overall market sentiment.Oil and gas stocks gained 1.3%, the most among regional sectors, as crude prices inched higher following a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Shares of Germany's Merck were up 3.6% after the company raised its forecast for the group, mainly driven by a strong operating performance at its healthcare and electronics units.) lost 6% after the Dutch brewer missed estimates for half-year operating profit growth, even as it raised its full-year profit outlook.