By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stocks gained ground Tuesday,
with better-than-expected data from Germany and Spain providing an
upbeat developments for both the powerhouse and a peripheral
economy in the eurozone.
The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.2% to 392.21, sticking close to its
best level since 2007. The index is also moving closer to its
record close of 450.50, reached in March 2000, according to FactSet
data.
Germany's DAX 30 was on track for its 21st record close of the
year, rising 0.3% to 11,441.23 after retail sales in Europe's
largest economy rose 2.9% in January on a month-over-month basis.
That reading beat expectations of a 0.3% decline from a Wall Street
Journal poll of economists. Sales climbed 5.3% on a 12-month basis,
the fastest growth rate since June 2010.
Spain's IBEX 35 rose 0.2% to 11,201.70, on track for its fourth
straight gain and the best close since April 2010, according to
FactSet data. The move came after Spain's jobless claims
unexpectedly fell by a seasonally adjusted 13,538 in February.
Meanwhile, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.2% to 6,953.64
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ftse-100-pushes-to-record-high-but-glencore-barclays-fall-2015-03-03),
hovering at a fresh record close, as shares of Tullow Oil PLC won
back a portion their nearly 8% loss in the previous session. But
shares of Barclays PLC and Glencore PLC dropped following financial
updates.
France's CAC 40 rose 0.3% to 4,934.18, after Monday's decline of
0.7%.
Meanwhile, Greece's Athex Composite rose 1.8% to 874.30, and
Russia's Micex index gained 1.7% to 1,814.91.
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