FRANCE: European stocks rose closer to a record as BG Group Plc jumped after Royal Dutch Shell Plc agreed to buy it.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.2 percent to 405.05 at 8:41 a.m. in London. The benchmark measure briefly climbed intraday to match a closing record reached in 2000. BG jumped 38 percent after Shell agreed to buy it for 47 billion pounds ($70 billion) in cash and stock.
The Stoxx 600 climbed 1.6 percent on Tuesday amid optimism central banks will support the global economy. The gauge has rallied 18 percent this year amid quantitative-easing measures by the European Central Bank.
The Federal Reserve publishes minutes from its latest meeting after European markets close. The central bank said after the meeting that U.S. growth has moderated. Economic reports including those on payrolls, retail sales and manufacturing have missed projections this year. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said she expects to raise rates this year, and that increases will be data dependent.
A report today showed German factory orders unexpectedly fell for a second month in February.
Gains in BG pushed a gauge of oil and gas shares to its biggest gain since 2009. Peers Tullow Oil Plc and Genel Energy Plc jumped more than 6 percent. Shell fell 1.8 percent.
BG jumped the most in six years on Tuesday before takeover talks were reported, and bullish options volume increased.
