Europe open: Markets higher as Trump hints China deal close

European stocks rose on Thursday morning after US President Donald Trump said Washington and Beijing could be close to a resolution to their long-running trade spat.

As of 0910 BST, the Stoxx 600 was 0.5% higher at 389.48 as the German Dax rose by 0.5% to 12,288.85 and France's CAC 40 climbed by 0.6% to 5,615.21. Meanwhile, London's FTSE 100 increased by 0.5% to 7,328.50 .

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that a trade deal with China "could happen sooner than you think" as his administration secured a separate agreement with Japan that will open markets up to around $7bn worth of US agricultural products.

Connor Campbell, market analyst at Spreadex, said: "Trump’s claim that a deal with China could arrive sooner than people think outweighs any other destabilising factors surrounding his presidency, namely the threat of impeachment relating to the Ukrainian scandal."

In London, MPs appeared no closer to a Brexit resolution after a lively return to parliament as Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused his opponents of running scared from an election.

Among individual stocks, education publisher Pearson led the Stoxx 600 lower as it said adjusted operating profit will be at the bottom of its guidance range of £590m to £640m following weaker-than-expected trading in its US higher education courseware business in the key selling season.

Dutch bank ABN Amro was also sharply lower after it confirmed it is under investigation for money laundering in the Netherlands, with prosecutors suggesting that the the bank failed to investigate or sever ties with suspect clients.