On Wednesday, August 1,
European stocks edged higher amid speculations about decisive actions from
central banks to support the economy. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index soared 0.5 per
cent to 262.57. At the same time, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose by 1.4 per cent,
while Germany's DAX, on the contrary, erased 0.3 per cent. Next Plc added 6.5 per
cent, Arkema SA jumped 5.7 per cent as their quaretrly reports came better-than-expected.