Reply #83: Strong close for bourses as earnings dominate [View All]

[Ghost Dog]

http://mwprices.ft.com/custom/ft2-com/html-story.asp?dateid=39126.4947222222-889377630&guid={505EC99B-A594-4E32-A7DC-F63F345FBDB5}

Strong earnings figures helped European equity markets end the trading day higher on Tuesday, and there was positive read across from Wall Street where US stocks made early gains. French telecoms and construction group Bouygues gained 2.2 per cent to €54.20 after reporting a 10 per cent rise in 2006 revenues, beating expectations, helped by sales growth at its telecoms unit. By the close, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 1.49 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 1,534.64, while Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax gained 35.89 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 6,895.34 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 38.74 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 5,682.69.



European shares end higher, helped by metals

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - European shares closed higher on Tuesday, underpinned by upbeat U.S. stocks and metal firms, but worries about interest rates and a weakening retail estate sector capped the upside.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares ended 0.1 percent higher at 1,534.64.

Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE was up 0.5 percent, France's CAC 40 rose 0.7 percent and Germany's DAX <.GDAXI> firmed 0.5 percent.

"I think that it's just a rebound because we got a drop yesterday," said Jean-Luc Buchalet, strategist at Jacques Chahine Finance. "Some people are waiting for a consolidation in the next few days or few weeks."

Carrefour (CARR.PA: Quote, Profile , Research), the world's second largest retailer, was among the top gainers, up 3.9 percent after Chairman Luc Vandevelde's purchase of 215,000 shares in the company was seen as a vote of confidence in its future.

Metal firms rose on higher copper prices, also helped by a newspaper report that BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP.AX: Quote, Profile , Research) (BLT.L: Quote, Profile , Research), and Rio Tinto Ltd. (RIO.AX: Quote, Profile , Research) (RIO.L: Quote, Profile , Research) were studying takeover plans for U.S. aluminum producer Alcoa Inc (AA.N: Quote, Profile , Research). But sources told Reuters BHP Billiton was not currently working on a bid.