* STOXX 600 at highest since late Feb 2020
* Miners, banks, energy stocks jump
* Vivendi tops STOXX 600 on plan to distribute 60% of UMG
capital
(Updates to close)
By Sagarika Jaisinghani and Ambar Warrick
Feb 15 (Reuters) - European shares ended at a near one-year
high on Monday as major resource stocks benefited from
expectations of a swift economic recovery, while Vivendi
VIV.PA led gains on its planned capital distribution from
Universal Music.
The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX rose 1.3% to its highest
since late February 2020, with Rio Tinto RIO.L , BHP Group
BHPB.L and Anglo American AAL.L bolstering the index as
copper prices leapt to a more than eight-year high. MET/L
Banks .SX7P and energy stocks .SXEP also climbed as a
so-called "recovery trade" sparked demand for sectors that had
underperformed the broader index following early 2020's
coronavirus-driven crash.
Metal and oil prices rose as investors bet on fresh U.S.
stimulus and major vaccine programs spurring a resurgence in
commodity demand. O/R
Vivendi SE topped the STOXX 600 with a 19.6% jump after the
French conglomerate said it intended to distribute 60% of
Universal Music's capital to investors. Shares of Groupe Bollore BOLL.PA , which has a 27% stake in
Vivendi, jumped 14.6%.
Anticipation of more U.S. stimulus measures was bolstered
after President Joe Biden on Friday turned to a bipartisan group
of local officials for help on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus
relief plan. Historic monetary and fiscal stimulus has helped the
benchmark STOXX 600 rebound about 55% since slumping to a more
than seven-year low in March 2020, although it has lagged the
U.S. S&P 500 .SPX due to prolonged lockdowns in Europe.
A recent Reuters poll found the euro zone economy was in a
double-dip recession and that economists now expect GDP to
contract 0.8% in the first quarter, reversing an earlier
forecast for growth of 0.6%. Adding to doubts over a euro zone recovery, data showed
industrial production shrank more that expected in December
under the weight of falling output of capital and non-durable
consumer goods, confirming an economic contraction in the fourth
quarter. However, analysts said a global economic recovery was set to
benefit euro zone sectors that were exposed to trade.
"New orders for manufacturing continue to grow quickly and
the rest of the world continues to recover, which bodes well for
the start of 1Q in terms of exports and production," ING
analysts wrote in a note.
"This makes manufacturing the bright spot in an otherwise
downbeat short-term outlook."
Trading volumes were thin for the day, with markets in
China, Hong Kong and the United States shut for local holidays.