(index / closing price / change items /% change)

Nikkei 14,837.68 -27.99 -0.19%    

Hang Seng 22,388.56 -179.68 -0.80%

Shanghai Composite 2,076.69 -37.01 -1.75%

S&P 500 1,847.61 +11.36 +0.62%

NASDAQ 4,292.97 +29.56 +0.69%

Dow 16,207.14 +103.84 +0.64%

FTSE 6,865.86 +27.80 +0.41%

CAC 4,419.13 +38.07 +0.87%

DAX 9,708.94 +51.99 +0.54%

European stocks advanced to a six-year high as companies from Scania AB to Dixons Retail Plc rallied amid heightened mergers-and-acquisitions activity, outweighing a drop in HSBC (HSBA) Holdings Plc which posted worse-than-estimated profit.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.6 percent to 338.19 at the close of trading, its highest level since Jan. 14, 2008. The benchmark climbed 0.8 percent last week to its highest level since January 2008 as companies from Meda AB to Valeo SA posted better-than-forecast earnings.

In Germany, a report showed the Ifo Institute’s business climate index, based on a survey of 7,000 executives, unexpectedly rose to 111.3 in February from 110.6 a month earlier. Economists had predicted a drop to 110.5 this month.

National benchmark indexes climbed in 16 of the 18 western European markets.

FTSE 100 6,865.86 +27.80 +0.41% CAC 40 4,419.13 +38.07 +0.87% DAX 9,708.94 +51.99 +0.54%  

Scania surged 32 percent to 194.5 kronor. Volkswagen, which controls a majority of Scania’s shares and 89.2 percent of voting rights, said late Feb. 21 that it is offering 200 kronor per share for the remaining stock. Preferred shares of Volkswagen fell 6.5 percent to 187.90 euros, its biggest drop in a year. Europe’s largest automaker also reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed estimates.

Dixons rose 6.7 percent to 50.3 pence and Carphone Warehouse climbed 8.8 percent to 333 pence. The two companies said in a joint statement they are in preliminary talks for a merger. Betaville blog reported earlier, without citing sources, that they are discussing an all-share merger.

Bunzl Plc jumped 6.9 percent to 1,585 pence, its highest price since at least 1988, after saying full-year earnings excluding currency swings rose 15 percent to 82.4 pence per share. That beat analysts’ projections for 78.5 pence a share.

HSBC fell 2.8 percent to 635.7 pence. Europe’s largest bank reported 2013 pretax profit of $22.6 billion, trailing the $24.6 billion median estimate.

PostNL NV tumbled 20 percent to 3.44 euros, its biggest drop in 13 months, after the Dutch mail service reported a full-year net loss of 170 million euros. Analysts on average had projected a loss of 156 million euros.

RSA Insurance Group Plc retreated 3.7 percent to 97.5 pence after the insurer said it is considering a share sale as a way of replenishing capital. The company may say this week, when it reports full-year results, that it will raise as much as 800 million pounds, the Sunday Times reported yesterday.

U.S. stock-index futures gained as investors bet that the economy can withstand the slowing down of the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program.

Global markets:

Nikkei 14,837.68 -27.99 -0.19%

Hang Seng 22,388.56 -179.68 -0.80%

Shanghai Composite 2,076.69 -37.01 -1.75%

FTSE 6,824.2 -13.86 -0.20%

CAC 4,387.09 +6.03 +0.14%

DAX 9,643.32 -13.63 -0.14%

Crude oil $102.44 (+0.23%)

Gold $1331.90 (+0.63%).

European stocks were little changed near a six-year high as HSBC Holdings Plc fell after reporting worse-than-estimated profit, offsetting a surge in Scania AB following a Volkswagen AG bid. U.S. index futures were little changed, while Asian shares slipped.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell less than 0.1 percent to 335.79 at 9:12 a.m. in London. The benchmark gained 0.8 percent last week, reaching its highest level since January 2008, as companies from Meda AB to Valeo SA posted better-than-estimated earnings. The gauge has advanced 4.1 percent this month. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures added 0.1 percent today, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.2 percent.

In Germany, a report showed the Ifo Institute’s business climate index, based on a survey of 7,000 executives, unexpectedly rose to 111.3 in February from 110.6 a month earlier. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had predicted a drop to 110.5 this month.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faces his first confidence vote in parliament today since taking office last week. Renzi will address the Senate at 2 p.m. in Rome to introduce his 16-member cabinet and outline his strategy for governance.

HSBC, Europe’s biggest lender, dropped the most in six months.

PostNL NV slid the most in 13 months after reporting a wider loss than analysts had projected.

Scania soared to its highest level since July 2007 after Volkswagen offered to buy the remaining stake in the Swedish truckmaker for 6.7 billion euros ($9.2 billion).

FTSE 100 6,814.16 -23.90 -0.35%

CAC 40 4,381.36 +0.30 +0.01%

DAX 9,639.87 -17.08 -0.18%

China’s stocks fell, sending the benchmark index to its biggest loss in seven weeks, amid speculation that reduced lending to the property industry will curb growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Nikkei 225 14,837.68 -27.99 -0.19%

S&P/ASX 200 5,440.22 +1.52 +0.03%

Shanghai Composite 2,076.69 -37.01 -1.75%

China Vanke Co. and Poly Real Estate Group Co., the nation’s biggest developers, plunged more than 6 percent after the Shanghai Securities News reported Industrial Bank Co. and other banks have curbed lending to the property sector.

Industrial Bank led declines for lenders with a 3.7 percent loss.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., the refiner known as Sinopec, slid as much as 6.4 percent, erasing gains since it announced plans to sell a stake to private investors.