LIVE MARKETS-Buy Europe: STOXX, FTSE scale new peaks

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BUY EUROPE: STOXX, FTSE SCALE NEW PEAKS

Traders kept buying into European shares on Thursday, shrugging off recent tariff jitters, with strength spread across sectors and geographies throwing the STOXX 600 .STOXX and London's FTSE 100 .FTSE to new record highs.

The rise further widened a performance gap versus Wall Street, as ultra cheap relative valuations and a series of catalysts ahead that could help extend the rally are luring investors after years of deep underperformance.

Highlights on Thursday also included the aerospace and defence index .SXPARO nudging above its previous lifetime peak and banks .SX7P steaming ahead with a 0.9% advance to a fresh high in nearly 15 years. Miners were strong too.

The STOXX is up almost 7% YTD, more than twice the 3.1% rise in the S&P 500 .SPX

Here is your opening snapshot:

(Danilo Masoni)

EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:

BEFORE THE BELL: MIXED BANK EARNINGS, BOE AWAITED CLICK HERE

FOCUS SWINGS BACK TO RATE MOVES, COMPANY EARNINGS CLICK HERE