MILAN/FRANKFURT: Europe's STOXX 600 closed at a near three-week high on Tuesday as robust industrial output data from China boosted mining and luxury stocks, while Sweden's H&M surged after reporting a profit rebound.
Shares in the world's second-biggest fashion retailer jumped 10.8%, recording their biggest daily rise in almost six months after the company beat quarterly profit forecasts as it recovered more quickly than expected from a coronavirus-induced slump. The retail index rose 2.3%, leading sectoral gains in Europe.
Miners rose 1.7% after data showed industrial output in China, the world's top metal consumer, accelerated the most in eight months in August, while retail sales grew for the first time this year. China-reliant luxury stocks like LVMH, Kering and Hermes also gained, boosting the STOXX 600.
The UK's FTSE 100 jumped 1.3%, outperforming its European peers after a handful of positive corporate updates, better-than-expected jobs data and as Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced opposition within his party to proposed legislation that would breach the Brexit treaty.
Britain's Hiscox surged 17.0% to the top of STOXX 600 as London judges ruled that some insurers were wrong to reject claims from small firms battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the costs were less than expected, according to the company. The broader pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.7% to close at its highest since Aug. 27, while euro zone stocks gained 0.4%.
The bloc's banks slid 1.5% to become the worst-performing sector. ECB board member Fabio Panetta became the latest to highlight risks from a strong currency, saying the results of its stimulus measures are "not fully satisfactory yet". Fiat Chrysler jumped 9.0% and Peugeot maker PSA rose 2.2% after the carmakers restructured the terms of their planned merger to conserve cash.
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