PMI data comes as New Year's gift to European shares
Major European equity indexes climbed to new highs in thin trading Monday with strong manufacturing reports from the region boosting sentiment on the first trading day of 2017.
Italy's FTSE MIB index was up 1.3 percent by 1037 GMT after rising to its highest since January 2016. Germany's DAX rose 0.8 percent after reaching to its highest in nearly 17 months, while France's CAC gained 0.3 percent following a 13-month peak earlier in the day.
The euro zone's blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index was up 0.4 percent, the highest level since December 2015, witha brighter macroeconomic picture helping the broader market. British and Swiss markets were closed. IHS Markit's 2016 manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for the euro zone registered 54.9 in December, its highest since April 2011. That was well above both the 50 mark which separates growth from contraction, and above November's 53.7.
German manufacturing growth reached its highest in almost three years, driven by rising demand from Asia and the United States. French manufacturing hit a 5-1/2 year high, and Italian manufacturing activity grew at its fastest rate since June. Italian shares were also boosted by a rally in the country's lenders. The Italian banking index rose about 2 percent, supported by a 5.6 percent jump in Banco BPM on the first day of trading for the newly merged bank. Banco BPM said on Monday that the new lender, created after a merger between Banco Popolare and BPM, started with a share capital of 7.1 billion euros. Other Italian banks were also up, with shares in UniCredit, UBI Banca and Mediobanca up between 2.1 percent and 3.5 percent. Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 2016 at a record high on Friday after clocking a yearly gain of 14.4 percent, the best performer among major European stock indexes, with a sharp decline in sterling after the vote to leave the EU helping exporters and stronger metals prices boosting miners.
Italy's FTSE MIB index was up 1.3 percent by 1037 GMT after rising to its highest since January 2016. Germany's DAX rose 0.8 percent after reaching to its highest in nearly 17 months, while France's CAC gained 0.3 percent following a 13-month peak earlier in the day.
The euro zone's blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index was up 0.4 percent, the highest level since December 2015, witha brighter macroeconomic picture helping the broader market. British and Swiss markets were closed. IHS Markit's 2016 manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for the euro zone registered 54.9 in December, its highest since April 2011. That was well above both the 50 mark which separates growth from contraction, and above November's 53.7.
German manufacturing growth reached its highest in almost three years, driven by rising demand from Asia and the United States. French manufacturing hit a 5-1/2 year high, and Italian manufacturing activity grew at its fastest rate since June. Italian shares were also boosted by a rally in the country's lenders. The Italian banking index rose about 2 percent, supported by a 5.6 percent jump in Banco BPM on the first day of trading for the newly merged bank. Banco BPM said on Monday that the new lender, created after a merger between Banco Popolare and BPM, started with a share capital of 7.1 billion euros. Other Italian banks were also up, with shares in UniCredit, UBI Banca and Mediobanca up between 2.1 percent and 3.5 percent. Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 2016 at a record high on Friday after clocking a yearly gain of 14.4 percent, the best performer among major European stock indexes, with a sharp decline in sterling after the vote to leave the EU helping exporters and stronger metals prices boosting miners.
Last Update: January 03, 2017 01:09