European stocks rose for the first time in a week as manufacturing in U.K. and Italy unexpectedly gained and euro-area governments moved to support Spanish banks. U.S. index futures advanced while Asian shares dropped.
U.K. factory output rose 1.2 percent in May from the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. In Italy, industrial production gained 0.8 percent in May from a month earlier, the national statistics office Istat said.
European governments agreed to lend 30 billion euros ($37 billion) to Spain by the end of July, with the aim of eventually using the euro-area bailout fund to recapitalize banks directly, instead of burdening the Spanish government with the debts, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said.
China’s imports rose less than expected in June, pushing the trade surplus to a three-year high and adding pressure on the government to boost economic stimulus. Inbound shipments increased 6.3 percent from a year earlier, the customs bureau said, compared with the 11 percent median estimate in a survey of 32 economists. Export growth slowed to 11.3 percent and the trade surplus rose to $31.7 billion.
In the U.S., Alcoa Inc. (AA) began the second-quarter earnings season yesterday. The nation’s largest aluminum producer said profit excluding charges related to a proposed settlement of Aluminium Bahrain BSC’s bribery lawsuit and other items was 6 cents a share, compared with the 5-cent average of 19 estimates.
ASML jumped 9.1 percent to 43.35 euros after Intel said it will take an initial 10 percent stake in the Dutch company for about $2.1 billion, and later another 5 percent for about $1 billion. ASML will also get another $1 billion in stages, the world’s largest chipmaker said yesterday.
FTSE 100 5,672.94 +45.61 +0.81%
CAC 40 3,192.39 +35.59 +1.13%
DAX 6,465.46 +77.89 +1.22%