Europe Stocks Break Losing Streak, Vodafone Jumps

European stock markets rose on Thursday, after three days mired in the red, with shares of Vodafone Group PLC topping the benchmark index.

The telecom firm rallied 8.4% after confirmation it’s in talks with Verizon Communications Inc. to sell its 45% stake in their joint-venture company, Verizon Wireless. The Stoxx Europe 600 index climbed 0.5%, erasing a 0.4% loss from Wednesday. Trading volumes were thin, however, as many investors opted to stay on the sidelines amid fears of a military intervention in Syria.

Oil firms, which have been tracking oil prices higher in recent days, were on the decline on Thursday. Shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC dropped 1.4% and Total SA lost 1%. Among country-specific indexes, the FTSE 100 index rose 0.5% to 6,461.71, while Germany’s DAX 30 index added 0.3% to 8,182.39. France’s CAC 40 index picked up 0.2% to 3,969.93.

Source : Marketwatch