European Stocks Rebound as Strong Earnings Offset French Turmoil; STOXX 600 Gains 0.92%

European shares rose on Wednesday, recouping nearly all losses from weekend turmoil in France as strong corporate earnings outweighed political and economic uncertainty. The pan-European STOXX 600 added 0.92% to close at 644.49 points. Randstad surged 20% after the Dutch recruiter beat quarterly sales and profit estimates and struck an upbeat tone for 2027. EssilorLuxottica jumped 15.5% post-earnings, lifting luxury stocks to their highest in more than five weeks. France's CAC 40 rose 1% for its first gain this week after riots battered sentiment. Carrefour dropped 13.8% after cutting its annual earnings forecast, citing riot-related costs and disrupted trading. Michelin fell 7.2% on lower nine-month sales. The automobiles sector led losses, down 1.7%. Third-quarter STOXX 600 earnings are expected to grow at one of the fastest rates in years, per LSEG data. The index is up about 8% this year but trails the S&P 500's 12.7% gain. British inflation rose more than expected, strengthening the case for Bank of England rate hikes.