European equities were little changed, hovering near their highest level since January 2022, as trading resumed in the region following the Christmas break.
The Stoxx 600 Index was less than 0.1% higher by 8:07 a.m. in London, with energy and mining stocks leading gains. AstraZeneca Plc rose after the British drug giant agreed to acquire Chinese cell therapy developer Gracell Biotechnologies Inc. German chemical giant Bayer AG gained after it won a trial in a US lawsuit related to its Roundup herbicide.
Trading volumes were light with only three trading days left this year. Stocks in the region have rallied in the last two months, and the main benchmark is set to end 2023 with a gain of more than 12%.
A pullback may now be approaching, with almost two-thirds of European investors in a BofA poll last week saying they expect stocks to fall in the near-term after sharp rally since late October.
Source : Bloomberg
