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June 17 (Reuters) - European shares opened higher on
Wednesday, with hopes of a swift rebound from a coronavirus-led
economic slump gaining traction even as curbs on movement in
Beijing were put in place to contain a potential second wave of
COVID-19 cases.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.4%, after
logging its best day in nearly one month in the previous session
on the U.S. Federal Reserve's plan to start buying corporate
bonds and a report the Trump administration was preparing a
nearly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal.
Still, the advance was small as Beijing cancelled scores of
domestic flights on Wednesday, ramping up attempts to contain a
coronavirus outbreak that has triggered fears of renewed wider
contagion. Healthcare stocks .SXDP remained in focus for investors,
boosting the STOXX 600 by the most, while the European travel &
leisure sub-index .SXTP fell in early trading.
Among stocks, Lufthansa LHAG.DE rose 4.1% after German
investor Heinz Hermann Thiele raised his stake in the company to
more than 15% from 10%, he told newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung in an interview.