Market report: Rough ride as National Express drops

European bourses managed to recoup some ground on Thursday, although the mood throughout the session was fairly muted. Equities were lower on the open as the health crisis continued to play on traders’ minds, but sentiment seemed to pick up once trading began in the US. London’s benchmark index closed just 0.38pc higher to 6,147.14 after Wednesday’s brutal sell-off, but the FTSE 250 slipped 0.23pc to 17,112.12. In the eurozone the German Dax and French Cac climbed 0.69pc and 0.