Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Investors Hub
European stocks have moved mostly higher on Monday to extend gains from the previous session, with hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal as well as positive manufacturing data from China supporting sentiment.
The pound is treading water against the euro and dollar as regional data proved to be a mixed bag and investors brace for another parliament vote on a series of Brexit options amid indications the prime minister may be willing to call a general election.
While the German DAX Index has jumped by 1.1 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the U.K.?s FTSE 100 Index are up by 0.8 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
Evotec has moved significantly higher after saying it has completed its conversion into a company under European law.
Infineon Technologies and Dialog Semiconductor have also rallied after Apple supplier Foxconn Industrial posted better than expected quarterly results.
Swiss banking giant UBS Group has also advanced on news it will nominate Jeanette Wong and William Dudley for election to the Board at the AGM.
On the other hand, easyJet shares have moved sharply lower. The low-cost airline expects its first-half performance to be in line with the guidance given in the trading statement on January 22nd.
In economic news, official data showed that the eurozone manufacturing sector saw its biggest contraction in nearly six years in March, as demand and output slumped.
Eurozone inflation slowed in March, defying expectations for stability, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged in February.
The euro area jobless rate was 7.8 percent in February, the same as in January and in line with economists’ expectations.
Meanwhile, U.K. manufacturing activity grew at the fastest pace in over a year in March, as stockpiling by businesses hit a record, survey data from IHS Markit showed.
