The graph of the German DAX stock index inside the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, on April 7, 2021. REUTERS / Personal

Apr 8 (Reuters) – European stocks hit record highs on Thursday, buoyed by optimism around an economic rebound fueled by global stimulus, after the U.S. Federal Reserve pledged to maintain a loose monetary policy.

The pan-European STOXX 600 Index was up 0.5% at 0720 GMT, adding to gains made earlier this week when the index erased all losses caused by the pandemic.

Mining stocks, automakers and the retail sector led the index’s gains, rising 0.7-1% in early trading.

Members of the Federal Reserve remain cautious about the current risks of the coronavirus pandemic and are committed to supporting the economy until its recovery becomes safer, minutes of the latest US central bank monetary policy meeting showed on Wednesday. .

Investors appeared to dismiss the news that several European countries have announced restrictions on the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in young people, after its link to several cases of blood thrombi was determined.

Shares of the British pharmaceutical company rose 0.7%.

Netherlands-based tech investor Prosus NV was up 1.6% after it sold 2% of China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd for $ 14.7 billion in the largest block deal in history.

(Information from Sruthi Shankar from Bengaluru; edited by Subhranshu Sahu; translated by Darío Fernández in the Gdansk newsroom)

Categorized in: