Deal talks and a rally in defensive sectors supported European shares on Monday as investors grappled with the potential impact of the coronavirus, while Irish stocks were hit by a strong showing for the left-wing Sinn Fein in a national election. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 0.07% higher, having marked its best week in three months as part of a broader rebound from an earlier virus-driven sell-off. BMW, Volkswagen, Peugeot owner PSA and Renault all slipped more than 1%, weighing on the German and French indexes. Defensive sectors such as healthcare, real estate and utility stocks – which investors turn to during times of turbulence – rose more than 0.3%. (Reporting by Susan Mathew and Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Mark Potter)

Source: National Post February 10, 2020 17:48 UTC