There was a further boost to the financial sector on hopes for state support for Italian banks with the DAX also gaining support from a strong Wall Street tone and advancing to 12-month highs. Equity markets maintained a firm tone during the Asian session following the Dow Jones index’s climb to record highs on Tuesday. Overall risk appetite held firm, which also provided net support for German equities. The DAX index opened with solid gains of around 100 points as investor confidence improved. German industrial production data was weaker than expected with a 0.3% October gain following a 1.6% decline for September ... (full story)