Europe: Stocks jump on signs Brexit deal almost at hand

[LONDON] European stocks marched into a third session of gains on Thursday as a Brexit trade deal seemed almost at hand, with just a week left for Britain's final exit from the European Union.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.1 per cent, looking set to begin the Christmas holidays having made up all the losses at the beginning of the week, while London's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2 per cent.

After months of wrangling, and amid warnings of no deal, Britain and the European Union were on the cusp of striking a narrow trade agreement, sources in London and Brussels said, swerving away from an acrimonious split.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a late-night conference call with his Cabinet of senior ministers, and negotiators in Brussels pored over reams of legal trade texts, sources said.

REUTERS