'Thursday saw the first day of reprieve for European stock indices this week', says Axel Rudolph, Senior Market Analyst at online trading platform IG.
European indices stabilize
"After a dismal start to the week, European stock indices managed to regain some recently lost ground alongside their US counterparts as US building permits rose more than expected, jobless claims plunged to a 16-month low and the S&P information technology sector hit a record high. European equity markets stabilized despite ECB policymakers advocating a prolonged restrictive stance and eurozone construction falling the most in nearly three years."
Oil and Gold prices rise on geopolitical tensions
“Ongoing missile attacks between US/UK warships and Houthis in Yemen have been joined by exchanges between Iran and Pakistan which led to and escalation in the region. This pushed the oil price higher for a second straight day and also provoked a recovery in the gold price on flight to safety flows."
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