Record Highs and Economic Optimism Boost European Shares

European shares reached record highs on Thursday, buoyed by strong earnings from Nestle and Siemens, amidst optimism over US-led peace talks regarding the Ukraine conflict. The STOXX 600 kept climbing, while France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX also hit highs, contrasting a dip in Britain's FTSE due to Unilever's decline.

European shares soared to new records on Thursday, propelled by robust earnings from giants like Nestle and Siemens. This surge accompanies broader market optimism fueled by anticipated peace talks between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.

The STOXX 600 index climbed by 0.3%, marking its sixth consecutive session of intraday record highs. Germany's DAX and the EURO STOXX index both reached all-time highs, rising by 1% and 0.7%, respectively. France's CAC 40 also saw substantial gains, climbing 0.9%, marking its highest performance since May.

Conversely, the UK's FTSE index dipped by 0.8%. This decline was primarily due to a significant 7% drop in Unilever shares, following its decision to list Amsterdam as the primary venue for its ice cream business and forecasting a bleak annual sales outlook.

(With inputs from agencies.)