European stocks gain ground
European stocks gained ground by midday on Wednesday, with banks charging ahead amid corporate takeover talk and a share issue by Barclays, ahead of the Federal Reserve interest rate policy decision and a slew of economic data.
European stocks rose as investors poured money into equities on the first trading day of the second half of the year, spurred by hope that the European Central Bank and the Bank of England will act to bolster economic growth later this week.