European Stocks Rise as Investors Await Key Economic Data

European stocks rose today as investors awaited a batch of data from major economies. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.2 percent to 514.90 points. The retail sector also posted a strong rise, supported by a 5.3 percent gain in JD Sports after the British sportswear retailer reported improved underlying sales growth in the second quarter of this year. In contrast, energy sector shares recorded the biggest losses, falling 0.6 percent, amid a fifth session of decline in oil prices amid concerns about the outlook for global demand. Preliminary readings of the purchasing managers' indices for France, Germany, the UK and the eurozone are due today, Thursday Consumer confidence data is also due out in the eurozone, while the US PMI as well as initial jobless claims are due later in the day. On the corporate front, Aegon fell 4 percent after the Dutch insurer said its key measure of capital generation fell in the first half of the year. Deutsche Bank jumped 2.5 percent after reaching settlements with more than half of the plaintiffs who accused the banking group of underpaying them. Source: Qatar News Agency