ReutersA surge for London-listed companies brought European stock markets within striking distance of an all-time high on Friday as investors cheered the likelihood of an orderly Brexit after a landslide election victory for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The UK-focused FTSE mid-cap index jumped 5 percent to a record high, pushing the broader pan-European STOXX 600 up 1.1 percent to 412 points, up 1.1 percent for the week. Dublin’s ISEQ, also considered a barometer of Brexit sentiment, jumped to a 12-year high. The benchmark European index is just two points shy of a record high hit in 2015. Trade-sensitive German shares jumped 1.3 percent on Friday after the US agreed to suspend a new round of Chinese tariffs in return for Beijing buying more US farm goods.

Source: Taipei Times December 14, 2019 15:56 UTC