Investment Banks Are Rewarded by Volume Surge in European Stocks
Stoxx Europe 600 Index Rises 1.2 Percent
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European stocks have swung this year from a central-bank-fueled rally to a Greece-induced slump and back up. The upshot for investors? A resurgence in volume.
After years of shrinking trades and commissions, stock desks in Europe are finally seeing a pickup. Investment banks including Societe Generale SA, UBS Group AG and Deutsche Bank AG have reported a surge in equity trading revenue in the second quarter. The value of stocks traded jumped 25 percent to 1.4 trillion euros ($1.5 trillion) in the first half of 2015, the highest since at least 2009, data from research firm Markit showed.