European Stocks Rise on Earnings Reports

European stocks rose to remain on the path to concluding the week on stability, as investors closely watched a barrage of corporate earnings reports to derive indications of the pace of recovery in business activities.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.1% in early trade, with most of the sectors listed on it rising.

AstraZeneca rose 1.3% after the company producing the COVID-19 vaccine beat its quarterly product sales estimate and forecast revenue growth in 2021.

The European healthcare sector index rose 0.2%.

Danone’s shares rose 2.8% after investment firm Artisan Partners demanded corporate governance and structural changes, including the separation of the positions of chairman and chief executive officer of the French food group.

German Commerzbank fell 2.9% after the bank said its losses worsened in the fourth quarter of last year.