European stocks edge higher, Credit Suisse tumbles

European stocks edged higher in a choppy session on Monday, weighed down by Credit Suisse shares, which slumped following a warning of "significant" losses from exiting positions after US-based hedge fund Archegos defaulted on margin calls.

The Swiss bank slipped 13.8% to a three-month low as it said the unnamed hedge fund defaulted on margin calls made last week by Credit Suisse and other banks and said that while it was "premature to quantify" the resulting loss, "it could be highly significant and material to our first quarter results." .

"It is unclear whether Archegos is done with its fire sales, and if it isn't, how much it has left to unload," said Connor Campbell, an analyst at Spreadex.

"That also raises questions over the wider ramifications of the hedge fund's troubles, and which companies will be the next to announce they have been stung."

The wider financial services index was the worst performer, losing 1.9%, while the banks sector, which includes Deutsche Bank and UBS, also slipped 0.9%.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged 0.2% higher, with economy-linked mining, oil & gas and travel and leisure shares among the biggest decliners as French doctors warned a third wave of infections could soon overwhelm hospitals.

Chancellor Angela Merkel also pressed Germany's states on Sunday to step up efforts to curb rapidly rising coronavirus infections, and raised the possibility of introducing curfews to try to get a third wave under control.

The benchmark STOXX 600 has lagged its US counterpart in the past six months as new lockdowns in the continent and a slower-than-expected vaccination programme dented the economic outlook for Europe.

The export-heavy German DAX rose 0.5% to an all-time high as data over the weekend showed annual profits at China's industrial firms surged in the first two months of 2021, highlighting a rebound in the country's manufacturing sector.

Among other stocks, Hugo Boss slipped 1.6% after the German fashion house got caught in a concerted boycott by Chinese celebrities and consumers over Western accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang.

Poland's CD Projekt jumped 13.1% to the top of STOXX 600 index after plans about the studio's downloadable content for its Cyberpunk 2077 game leaked on Reddit.

Gains in defensive sectors such as food & beverage utilities, media, which tend to decouple from the economic cycle, offered some support to the market.