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European Stocks Advance as German Business Confidence Rises
European stocks advanced as a report showed German business confidence rose in February to the highest in seven months, exceeding forecasts. Asian shares were little changed, while U.S. index futures climbed. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 0.4 percent to 265.56 at 9:05 a.m. in London. The benchmark gauge has rallied 8.6 percent this year amid speculation that euro-area policy makers will contain the region's sovereign-debt crisis and as U.S. economic data exceeded forecasts. Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 0.4 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index retreated less than 0.1 percent. The ... (full story)