09.02.202608:32:22UTC+00European Stocks Hit New Highs

European equities opened the week on a strong note, with the STOXX 50 up 0.9% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.5%, both reaching new record highs. The advance tracked a broadly positive global mood that began on Friday and was bolstered by further gains in Japan, following a landmark election victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Healthcare names outperformed, led by Novo Nordisk, which jumped around 8%, and Novartis, up 0.9%, after Hims & Hers announced it would withdraw its copycat weight-loss drug from the market. Other notable risers included ASML Holding (+0.7%), HSBC (+0.6%), AstraZeneca (+0.8%), SAP (+1.3%) and Rheinmetall (+2.4%).

UniCredit advanced about 5% after raising its profit outlook, while InPost surged more than 13% after a consortium led by Advent and FedEx agreed to acquire the company.

On the downside, Vinci slipped 1%, and NatWest fell nearly 4% amid reports that the bank is nearing a GBP 2.5 billion takeover of Evelyn Partners.