* China, U.S. to hold trade talks in October
* German industrial orders plunge in July
* Safran jumps after raising FY profit forecast
(Updates to close)
By Sruthi Shankar
Sept 5 (Reuters) - Euro zone stock markets charged higher on
Thursday, as optimism over U.S.-China trade talks, positive
corporate updates and a rally in banking shares brightened the
mood in Europe even as London stocks went in the opposite
direction.
A surge in tariff-sensitive shares of tech firms, automakers
and energy companies drove an index of euro zone stocks
.STOXXE 1.0% higher at the close, compared with a 0.7% rise in
the broader European stock index .STOXX .
News that Beijing and Washington officials agreed to hold
high-level trade talks in early October raised hopes of
progress in their negotiations even as both sides fired tariffs
on each others' goods last month. Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE was a weak spot, falling -0.6% as
several large-cap names traded ex-dividend and exporters on the
index took a hit from a surge in sterling. .L
Investors have cheered political developments this week,
with the formation of a new government in Italy and the UK
parliament's battle to avert a no-deal Brexit lifting the STOXX
600 to a fresh one-month high.
"The bullish theme seen elsewhere comes off the back of an
improved outlook for US-China talks, which are planned for
October," Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG, wrote in a
client note.
"However, we have seen this all before, so there is a strong
chance that market scepticism kicks in to limit these gains."
Automakers and parts suppliers index .SXAP led gains on
the main index with a 2.9% jump to record its biggest percentage
gain since July 23.
BANKS RISE
Banking shares .SX7P also rose more than a percent for a
second day as eurozone bond yields rose in the wake of strong
U.S. private data and comments this week by ECB officials
playing down the need for aggressive stimulus at next Thursday's
policy meeting. GVD/EUR
Bank of Ireland Group BIRG.I jumped 8.5% to the top of the
index, while gains for Spanish lenders and a 7.3% rise in
Finland's Nordea NDAFI.HE on naming a new chief executive
boosted the sector. French engine maker Safran SAF.PA gained 5.1% after the
company raised its full-year profit forecast, while Dassault
Aviation AVMD.PA rose 5.7% after the maker of Rafale warplanes
and Falcon business jets affirmed its view of higher net sales
in 2019. Together they helped drive a 1.4% increase in the industrial
goods and services .SXNP sector.
Shares in Thyssenkrupp AG TKAG.DE tacked on 6.2% on a
report that Finland's Kone KNEBV.HE was considering teaming up
with a private equity partner to pull off a bid for the German
conglomerate's elevator business. The gains came despite news the company is set to drop out
of Germany's benchmark GDAXI index this month. Norwegian shares .OSEAX got a boost from a 7.5% jump in
Equinor's shares EQNR.OL after the oil firm launched a $5
billion share buyback and said its Johan Sverdrup oilfield will
come on stream in October, a month earlier than planned.
Equinor's shares notched their biggest percentage gain since
February 2016, while other Nordic oil firms such as Aker BP
AKERBP.OL and Lundin Petroleum LUPE.ST rose between 2.7% and
4.7%.