German DAX hits record high as automakers rally

This post was originally published on this site

https://i-invdn-com.akamaized.net/trkd-images/LYNXMPEH2H0E9_L.jpg

An index of euro zone’s top 50 companies gained 0.3% in early trading, briefly surpassing its peak hit in February last year before the COVID-19 pandemic hammered financial markets.

Germany’s blue-chip DAX rose 0.7%, France’s CAC 40 was up 0.2%, while UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.1% ahead of the Bank of England’s monetary policy decision due later in the day.

The wider pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.3% and was trading less than 2% below its all-time high.

With the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rising in after the Fed decision, economically sensitive sectors such as automakers, banks, miners and travel & leisure led the gains in Europe.

Volkswagen (DE:VOWG_p) jumped 6.1%, sealing its position as the most valuable company in Germany’s DAX after it overtook software maker SAP on Wednesday.

Sectors considered as bond-proxies such as utilities, food & beverage and healthcare stocks were trading lower.