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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Europe open: Shares gain on US tech results; Anglo rebuffs BHP

(Sharecast News) - European shares opened higher on Friday as strong earnings from tech giants Google and Microsoft overnight boosted sentiment, while Anglo American rebuffed BHP's mega £31bn offer as "opportunistic". The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was up 0.62% at 505.48 in early trade. London's FTSE powered to a new record intra-day high of 8135.

"The FTSE 100 has reached yet another untouched summit, as investors remain in a positive mood. There has been a flurry of strong results from big hitters like Barclays and AstraZeneca on Thursday, which has helped carry the FTSE to these new highs. The market's also reacting to the news that consumer confidence has improved slightly, according to data from GfK," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates.

Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet beat forecasts, reversing the gloom after Facebook-parent Meta's outlook disappointed investors a day earlier.

In economic news, Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged, sending the yen to a 34-year low past 156 to the dollar.

In equity news, Anglo American rejected BHP's £31.1bn takeover offer, saying the bid "significantly undervalued" the miner and its future prospects.

Thyssenkrupp gained after the German firm said it would sell a 20% stake in its steel business to the energy holding controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

Finland's Wartsila gained after the marine technology company reported higher first-quarter profits.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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