Europe's main share index notched a record high on Wednesday, as investors cheered robust earnings from the likes of UK's Experian and Germany's Commerzbank, while rate-sensitive stocks got a boost after a softer-than-expected U.S. inflation print. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.6%, with Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 index also closing at all-time highs.
Germany's Commerzbank posted a better-than-expected 29% rise in first-quarter net profit on Wednesday, its strongest quarterly profit in a decade, and raised its outlook for net interest income for the full year. Its net profit rose to 747 million euros ($808.25 million) in the quarter from a profit of 580 million euros a year earlier. Analysts had, on average, expected a profit of 652 million euros, according to an April consensus forecast published by Commerzbank.
Earnings preview of key companies reporting this week and what to look out for.