European shares rise in early trade; basic resources lead

Reuters Updated - February 04, 2020 at 02:25 PM.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.6 per cent by 0803 GMT

European shares opened higher on Tuesday, extending their recovery from a sharp sell-off last week that was driven by concerns over a virus outbreak in China, with the basic resources sector leading gains.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.6 per cent by 0803 GMT, having ticked up slightly on Monday after logging its worst week in six months.

Stock markets in Asia, particularly in China, gained after steep falls on Monday, although headlines about the coronavirus outbreak are expected to sway markets in the near term.

The basic resources sector, which consists of several China-focused miners, was the best performer among EU regional sub-indexes, adding about 1.5 per cent.

German stocks rose about 0.7 per cent after data on Monday pointed to some recovery in the beleaguered manufacturing sector. However, an economic slowdown in China is likely to add more pressure.

Published on February 4, 2020 08:46