The Stoxx 600 index provisionally ended 0.12% higher, following a choppy morning session. Sectors and major bourses traded in mixed territory, with health care leading losses, down 1%, while travel added 1.6%.
France’s CAC 40 rose 0.9%, returning to positive territory after mixed morning trade as investors weighed the possibility of victory for the far-right National Rally party in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections. The index fell more than 6.2% last week, marking its worst weekly loss since March 2022.
Italian inflation ticked slightly higher in May, rising 0.2% month-on-month, fresh data from official statistics agency ISTAT showed Monday. The consumer price index (CPI) was up 0.8% on an annual basis.
Investors are looking ahead to the Bank of England’s (BOE) policy rate decision on Thursday. The Bank is widely expected to hold rates steady at 5.25%, with the majority of economists polled by Reuters forecasting an August cut.
However, the BOE’s path from there — along with that of the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank — is uncertain.
U.S. stocks were flat as traders kicked off a holiday-shortened week, while Asia-Pacific markets mostly lower as the region assessed key economic data out from China.