BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks eked out modest gains on Wednesday despite countries across Europe imposing new restrictions in a bid to stem new cases of Covid-19.
Central banks are in the spotlight today with the ECB president Christine Lagarde's speech focused on climate change.
EU leaders will assemble in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss their future relationship with the U.K.
The benchmark CAC 40 edged up 8 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,956 after falling 0.6 percent on Tuesday amid worries about a halt in Covid-19 vaccine trials and uncertainty over more U.S. stimulus.
Banks BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale rose about 2 percent, while automaker Renault surged 2.4 percent and Peugeot advanced 1.4 percent.
Travel-related stocks were moving lower, with Air France KLM falling over 1 percent as many countries tighten cross-border travel restrictions to regain control of resurgent coronavirus infections.
Investors shrugged off data showing that Eurozone industrial production grew at a slower pace in August despite the easing of coronavirus containment measures in many member countries.
Industrial production grew only 0.7 percent month-on-month, following July's 5 percent increase, Eurostat said. Output was forecast to climb 0.8 percent.
On a yearly basis, industrial output logged a decline of 7.2 percent after falling 7.1 percent in July. The rate of decline came in line with economists' expectations.
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