European rose by mid-day trading on Wednesday buoyed by strong corporate earnings from Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN), yet Athens general index resumed its drop.
Stoxx Europe 50 index rose 0.8% after Societe Generale reported a better than forecast second-quarter net profit, pushing its stock by 9%.
Britain’s FTSE was up 0.7 percent, despite a report showing UK PMI services retreated to 57.4 in July from 58.5 in June, lower than analysts’ forecasts of 58.0.
On the other hand, Athens general index witnessed a drop for a third second straight day, after it was reopened on Monday following a five-week closure.
The index fell 3.6%, dragged down by the banking sector shares, which have lost 20% at early trading.