German Optimism Boosts European Stocks

European stocks rose Wednesday amid renewed optimism in Germany, the continent’s largest economy. The German Ifo business-climate index, a closely watched survey of business sentiment, rose for a third consecutive month in April and also beat economists’ expectations. Germany’s DAX Index rose 0.2% in morning trading and is now 8.5% up in 2024, outperforming the pan-European Stoxx 600’s 6% rise over the same period.