Europe open: Shares rise on China-US talk hopes
European shares rose further on Wednesday as investors took heart over a possible trade deal between the US and China.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was up 0.83%, while the UK's FTSE rose 0.85%, Germany's DAX up 1% and France's CAC 1.1%.
In currency markets, sterling was up 0.2% against the dollar at 1.2736 and down 0.1% versus the euro at 1.1109 as the Brexit withdrawal bill returns to Parliament to be debated for four days ahead of the House of Commons vote on 15 January.
The US-China trade talks being extended into a third day was being interpreted by the markets as a sign of progress, said London Capital Group analyst Jasper Lawler.
"Comments coming from both parties continue to indicate that the talks are, so far going 'very well'. A deal is likely to still be a long way off, with many twists and turns still to overcome along the way. However, the extension is a step in the right direction, sending a signal that the two sides are in serious negotiations and are working hard to resolve the issues."
AMS fell 4.2% on reports that Apple had cut planned first-quarter production for its three new iPhones. A downgrade by Credit Suisse hit the shares further.
Taylor Wimpey rallied and led the index risers after saying full year results would be in line with expectations as the housing market "remained stable" despite uncertainties caused by Brexit. In a trading statement for the last calendar year, it said total home completions increased by 3% to 14,947, including joint ventures.