European stock indices rose as sovereign bond yields in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom declined, supported by expectations of a continued ceasefire between Iran and Israel, despite a shaky start to the truce.
During Wednesday’s session, the Stoxx Europe 600 climbed 0.3% to 542 points as of 10:23 AM Mecca time. Gains were capped by declines in banking, utilities, and defense sector stocks.
The German DAX remained steady at 23,655 points, while the UK FTSE 100 added 0.25% to 8,783 points, and the French CAC 40 rose by 0.45% to 7,650 points.
The NATO summit in the Netherlands concludes today, with the 32 member states expected to issue a joint official statement to raise their defense spending target from 2% to 5% by 2035
