European stock markets post best week in seven months

European banks recovered all their pandemic losses, US banks have surged to record highs, while retailers, oil and gas and travel stocks all rose

The Ftse-100 has bounced back to pre-pandemic trading levels.

European stocks marked their best weekly performance in seven months, as a bright start to the earnings season helped ease investor concerns about higher inflation.

The pan-European Stoxx-600 index rose 0.7% to close at a one-month high, ending the week with a 2.6% gain after a sharp rebound in risk appetite in the past two sessions.