German shares jumped 5.8% on Monday to lead a strong bounce in European shares as a slowdown in coronavirus deaths raised hopes that nationwide lockdowns may gradually be eased.
While all major sectors were well in the black, the travel and leisure sector - worst hit by the lockdowns - rallied 8.2% breaking a three-day losing streak, while the German-focused auto sector led gains with its near 9.5% jump.
Frankfurt's DAX marked its best session in two weeks, while all other major European bourses closed up between 2.3% and 4.9%.
The pan-European benchmark STOXX 600 index also posted its biggest one-day gain in two weeks, ending 3.7% higher. It had logged its sixth weekly decline in seven last week as the health crisis stalled business activity and prompted firms to suspend dividends and share buybacks.
The STOXX 600 index has lost more than $3 trillion in market value since February on fears of a global recession despite extraordinary fiscal and monetary stimulus globally, with Goldman Sachs predicting a 38.4% slump in euro area real GDP in the second quarter.
Ladbrokes owner GVC surged almost 18% to top the regional and travel index after it halved its estimate for a monthly hit to profits from the coronavirus-driven shutdown in international sports.
But gains for UK's FTSE 100 were capped by oil firm BP PLC as a delay in an OPEC+ meeting regarding oil output pressured crude prices. News that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in hospital due to persistent COVID-19 symptoms also weighed.
The volatility gauge for euro-zone stocks, widely known as Europe's fear index, dropped to a one month low of 42.92, nearly halving from its peak of 95.02 in mid-March.