European Stocks Return to Gains Approaching Record Highs

European stocks closed higher on Tuesday, near their all-time highs, amid anticipation for major economic data and earnings reports.

The STOXX Europe 600 index gained 0.13% to finish at 435.80 points.

Retail stocks led the gains, adding 1.6%, while the banking sector topped the losses and fell by 0.6%.

The French CAC40 index finished higher by 0.36%, while the German benchmark index, DAX, settled higher by 0.13%.

Meanwhile, the UK’s FTSE100 closed nearly unchanged with slim gains of 0.02%