Europe: UK stocks hit record high; eurozone markets hover

[LONDON] The British stock market rallied on Thursday to a record peak, propelled by optimism over the government's budget, while eurozone stocks hovered as investors awaited an EU summit for fresh news on the Greek debt crisis.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index soared to a record-high of 6,982.79 points, building on gains won the previous day after the British government's upbeat budget. The FTSE ended the day up 0.25 per cent at 6,962.32 points.

The CAC 40 index in Paris was essentially flat, adding 0.07 per cent to 5,037.18 points, while Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.20 per cent to 11,899.40 points.

AFP