European stocks climb at open

LONDON: Europe's main stock markets rose at the start of trading on Wednesday, after gains in much of Asia.

In initial deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index won 0.7 percent to 6,872.45 points, compared with Tuesday's closing level.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index added 0.2 percent to 15,237.17 points and the Paris CAC 40 advanced 0.2 percent to 6,142.84.

Asian equities mostly edged up but gains were tempered as investors took a breather following a recent run-up, though another round of healthy data provided cause for continued optimism for the global recovery.

President Joe Biden gave cause to cheer by saying all adults in the United States would be eligible for a vaccine by April 19, almost two weeks earlier than previously pledged, reinforcing hope that the world's top economy will get back on its feet more quickly.