European shares higher as rate-cut hopes gain steam

PARIS: European shares joined a global rally to hit fresh record-high levels on Thursday, with technology stocks and miners in the lead, as dovish signals from a slew of major central banks spurred a risk-on mood among investors.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended up 0.9% at a record closing high and also hit an all-time intraday peak of 510.25 points earlier in the day.

Technology stocks led the charge with a jump of 3.2% as investors gravitated towards risky assets after the US Federal Reserve stuck to its view of three interest rate cuts this year.

Also boosting the index were gains in European semiconductor stocks including heavyweight ASML Holding after US chipmaker Micron’s strong third-quarter revenue forecast .

The basic resources index, which houses mining stocks, added 2.6%, as prices of most metals climbed, with gold prices hitting an all-time high earlier in the session.

Britain’s FTSE 100 outperformed regional peers to climb nearly 2% after the Bank of England held interest rates steady and Governor Andrew Bailey said Britain’s economy is “moving in the right direction” for the central bank to start cutting interest rates.

Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, the Swiss National Bank cut its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.50%, making it the first major central bank to dial back tighter monetary policy aimed at tackling inflation.

The main Swiss Market Index closed up 0.7%.

“Central banks look to be on the verge of declaring victory in their battle over inflation. Some banks – such as the Swiss National Bank – have already started cutting rates,” said Hussain Mehdi, director of investment strategy at HSBC Asset Management.

“For the Bank of England, good progress in disinflation has allowed recent communications to strike a significantly less hawkish tone.” Investors also tweaked their views about the European Central Bank’s (ECB) policy path, pricing in a 90% chance of an ECB rate cut by June from less than an 80% chance late on Wednesday.

On the data front, French business activity shrank for a tenth consecutive month in March, while Germany’s economic downturn eased slightly.