By Investors Hub
European stocks have risen for the second straight day on Thursday as the yuan steadies after a week of turmoil and China reported unexpectedly strong export numbers for the month of July.
While the French CAC 40 Index has jumped by 1.3 percent, the German DAX Index is up by 0.9 percent and the U.K.?s FTSE 100 Index is up by 0.3 percent.
Zurich Insurance has moved sharply higher after the Swiss insurer said it is on track to surpass the targets it set itself for the full year.
Staffing firm Adecco Group has also advanced after releasing its second-quarter results, while insurer Aviva has gained after reporting a rise in first-half pretax profit.
Hargreaves Lansdown shares have soared after the financial services company reported a rise in full-year pre-tax profit on the back of higher revenue.
On the other hand, Savills has fallen after the real estate services provider reported a drop in interim profit amid Brexit uncertainty and political unrest in Hong Kong.
Housebuilder Bellway has also tumbled after saying that annual pre-tax profits will likely meet market expectations.
Osram has also slumped after Allianz Global Investors, the biggest shareholder in the lighting group, rejected a 3.4 billion euro ($3.81 billion) takeover offer from private equity firm Bain and Carlyle.
Adedapo Adesanya