European equities creep upwards as eurozone exits deflation

European stocks posted modest gains Thursday as the euro hit a nine-week dollar peak on weak US data that dimmed the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in early summer. In mid-afternoon deals Thursday, however, most European indices showed limited gains as eurozone data showed that the bloc has climbed out of four months of deflation. "Of course, the slowing pace of growth in the world’s largest economy matters for the stock market too because it is one of the main export des