European shares opened higher on Thursday led by Sodexo after a solid update and helped by strong gains among mining stocks.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index, which fell 0.2 per cent on Wednesday, rose 0.9 per cent and euro zone's blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index rose 1 per cent.
Sodexo rose more than 8 per cent after the French catering-to-vouchers group said it would further cut costs to cope with a volatile global economy and forecast higher revenues and operating profit for the fiscal year 2015-16.
Mining stocks were the top sectoral gainer to rise 2.8 per cent, with BHP Billiton leading the way after saying its priority was to maintain a healthy balance sheet.
Thyssenkrupp rose 1.3 per cent, reversing initial losses after mixed results and a cautious outlook for the year. Brokers said the dividend was less than expected but its quarterly adjusted operating profit beat expectations