Author: Elena Todorova
123jump.com
Last Update: 1:02 PM EDT April 03 2006

Stocks in Europe rallied on the first day of the second quarter to finsh sharply up, reflecting solid gains in Asian markets, eased interest-rate concerns, and strength in mining and auto stocks. Takeover deals also supported sentiment with Alcatel in the spotlight after the company agreed to acquire Lucent Technologies for $14.45 billion in stock. The German DAX 30 reached a five-year high of 0.9%, the French CAC 40 advanced 0.7% and London FTSE 100 surged 1.1%.