\n<\/p>\n
European stocks rose on Monday, with optimism about a faster economic recovery and dealmaking activity boosting sentiment.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the People’s Bank of China deleted several phrases in its latest monetary policy report, a move that economists say signals a shift toward more supportive monetary policy.<\/p>\n
On the Covid-19 front, Austria closed shops, restaurants and festive markets<\/span> in the most dramatic Covid-19 restriction seen in Western Europe for months.<\/p>\n The pan European Stoxx 600 edged up 0.2 percent to 487.06 after declining 0.3 percent on Friday. <\/p>\n The German DAX was marginally higher, France’s CAC 40 index inched up 0.2 percent and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was up 0.3 percent. <\/p>\n Telecom stocks were in focus, with Telecom Italia climbing as much as 24 percent after a $12 billion bid from U.S. fund KKR to take Italy’s largest phone group private. Rival BT Group jumped 2.7 percent and Vodafone added 2 percent. <\/p>\n Similarly, Norway’s Telenor rose about 1 percent after it agreed to merge its telecom unit with Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group in a deal valued at about $8.61 billion.<\/p>\n Mobile telecoms equipment maker Ericsson lost 4 percent after agreeing to buy cloud communications firm Vonage for $6.2 billion.<\/p>\n Miner BHP gained about 1 percent after the merger of its petroleum arm with Woodside. Marks and Spencer advanced 2.7 percent after reports that U.S. investment firm Apollo Global Management is mulling a buyout of the U.K. retailer.<\/p>\n Wind turbine maker Vestas tumbled 2.7 percent after it was hit by a cyberattack. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Market Analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Diploma Plc rallied 3.7 percent. The supplier of specialized technical products and services reaffirmed guidance after reporting an improved profit for the year ended Sept. 30.<\/p>\n