Europe Stocks Climb As China Demand Rises

European stock markets rose for a third straight day on Wednesday, after trade data from China showed an improvement in domestic demand as imports outstripped exports in March. The Stoxx Europe 600 index added 0.3% to 288.86.

Oil and mining firms were on the rise, boosted by the Chinese data, as the country is a major user of natural resources.

Shares of heavyweight miner Rio Tinto PLC gained 1.3% in London, while oil group Total SA rose 0.4% in Paris. Among country-specific indexes, the FTSE 100 index gained 0.3% to 6,332.68, while France’s CAC 40 index picked up 0.5% to 3,689.02. Germany’s DAX 30 index traded 0.5% higher at 7,677.86.

Marketwatch