European stocks rise near 9-month peak after Pfizer says vaccine is 95% effective

European stocks rose on Wednesday, and resumed gains after pausing yesterday on profit-taking, to rise today near a 9-month high, after the American company Pfizer said that its Covid-19 vaccine is 95% effective in preventing the virus according to the final phase of the clinical trials.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose 0.2% as of 11:35 GMT, after it closed lower by 0.5% yesterday, on profit-taking from the highest since February 27 of 391.57 points.

The pan European index opened higher today, to resume gains and jumped near a 9-month high, with most of the major European markets and sectors seeing green.

The travel and leisure sector saw the largest gains in Europe today, rising more than 0.75%, on hopes about coronavirus vaccines.

The American giant "Pfizer" and the German firm "BioNTech" announced on Wednesday that the recent data from the final phase of the clinical trials on their Covid-19 vaccine showed it was 95% effective.

S&P 500 futures rose 0.5%, after the index closed lower by 0.5% yesterday, in the first daily loss in 3 sessions.

Back to Europe, the Euro Stoxx 50 index rose 0.25%, France's CAC 40 rose 0.3%, Germany's DAX added 0.2%, and the UK's FTSE 100 rose 0.1%.