European stocks rose early Wednesday as investors welcomed comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and looked ahead to the second round of the French vote and Britain's election on Thursday.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.3%, for the second time in the past seven sessions.
The S&P 500 closed above 5,500 points on Tuesday, hitting a new record high, after Powell said recent data represented significant progress in fighting inflation but the Federal Reserve needed more data before changing monetary policy.
French stocks rose 0.4% as opponents of the French National Rally intensified their bid to block the far-right party from power, with more candidates agreeing to withdraw from a runoff election scheduled for the weekend to avoid splitting the anti-National Rally vote.
The UK's FTSE 100 index also rose 0.4% ahead of tomorrow's general election, which could see a potential end to 14 years of Conservative government.
Volkswagen shares rebounded 0.4% after U.S. electric vehicle maker Rivian denied a media report about extending its partnership with the German automaker.
Bpost shares fell 10.2% after the Belgian postal company issued a pessimistic outlook for full-year earnings, citing unfavorable market conditions in North America.
