Europe Roundup: Shares snap 3-day losing streak

LONDON: European shares snapped a three-day losing streak on Monday, boosted by defensive stocks such as drugmakers and commodities tracking crude and metal prices higher.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares provisionally closed up 0.8 per cent at 979.72 points in choppy trade having been up as much as 982.02 points and as low as 964.22 earlier.

"Markets are in a tug of war. There is a chance of stabilisation in the short-term," said Gerhard Schwarz, head of global equity strategy at UniCredit in Munich.

Elsewhere, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.62 per cent to 5,092.33 points, while the Paris CAC 40 climbed 1.22 per cent to 3,607.27 points and the Frankfurt Dax gained 0.93 per cent to 5,484.80 points. - Agencies