European Stocks Close First Session of New Year Higher

European stocks rose on Monday, opening the year with a positive performance amid an improved risk sentiment among investors, supported by the roll out of new Coronavirus vaccines, despite the concerning number of new cases.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed higher by 0.72% on the back of gains by the majority of market sectors.

In the United Kingdom (UK), FTSE100, the main index of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), finished higher by 1.72% on the first day after the completion of the Brexit.

In Germany, the benchmark index DAX settled marginally higher by 0.06%, while in France the CAC40 index leveled up by 0.68%.