EUROPE MARKETS: European Stocks Buoyed By China Stimulus Move, But Greek Worries Persist

By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch

European stocks popped higher Monday, recovering from a selloff at the end of last week, after a China moved to drive growth in the world's second-largest economy

Greece, meanwhile, remained in focus as a deadline looms for the debt-strapped country to agree on economic reforms.

The Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.8% to 406.83, with all sectors moving higher. Basic resources shares were the strongest performing after China's central bank over the weekend cut the amount of reserves commercial banks must hold, a move that frees up about $200 billion for lending. China has been struggling with slowing growth, including in its key property market.

Among miners, shares of iron-ore producer Anglo American rose 3.3%, Glencore PLC tacked on 2%, and Swedish miner and smelting company Boliden AB gained 3%. Iron-ore heavyweights BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) and Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) moved up 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively.

China is a key buyer of metals and other commodities. On Friday, the Stoxx 600 dropped 1.8% (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-head-lower-on-track-for-weekly-loss-2015-04-17), selling off along with other global equity markets after Chinese regulators made changes in trading rules. The changes have come as Chinese stocks have rallied.

Car shares also advanced Monday after the Chinese move. But Bernstein is "growing more pessimistic about industry profitability in China," as growth in that country's auto market shows signs of a rapid slowdown, it said in a note.

Shares of German car maker BMW AG rose 1.8%, France's Peugeot SA gained 1.4% and Renault SA tacked on 1.3%.

On the country indexes, Germany's DAX 30 rose 1.1% to 11,823.13, and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 leapt 0.9%to 7,056.18. France's CAC 40 gained 0.6% to 5,171.67.

Meanwhile, Greek bond prices fell, extending losses as capital markets appear increasingly concerned the cash-strapped Greek government won't reach a deal with its lenders, which could put the country on a path to leaving the euro. The Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers will meet Friday, but few expect a major breakthrough in the debt situation.

As bond prices fell, the yield on 2-year Greek notes rose 6 basis points to 26.9%, and the yield on 3-year debt rose 2 basis points to 18.6%. Ten-year Greek bonds yielded 12.8%, up 1 basis point.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/greeces-yaroufakis-warns-of-contagion-in-case-of-grexit-2015-04-20) on Sunday told a Spanish TV channel that "anyone who toys with the idea of cutting off bits of the eurozone hoping the rest will survive is playing with fire," Reuters reported.

Read: Signs the market is girding for a Greek default, in 4 charts (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/signs-the-market-is-girding-for-a-greek-default-in-4-charts-2015-04-16)

Greek stocks, however, moved higher Monday, pushing the Athex Composite up 1.6% to 741.84. The index has dropped 10% this year.

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