European stocks rise on healthy indicators

LONDON: European shares hit a 10-month peak yesterday, with euro zone industrial orders data providing more evidence of economic recovery, and miners gaining as metals prices rose.

At 1037 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was up 0.7 percent at 973.93 points, having hit a 10-month high of 977.93 points earlier in the session.

The index is up 51 percent from the lifetime low it hit on March 9. However, this year, it has only recovered about 21 percent of the loss it had in 2008.