European stocks rally on bright growth data

Europe's stock markets pushed higher Wednesday on news of solid first-quarter economic growth in the eurozone, with France outpacing powerhouse Germany, and on bright company results. In Paris, the benchmark CAC 40 index of leading French companies jumped 1.16 percent to 5,032.50 points, and Frankfurt's DAX 30 won 0.68 percent to 11,550 compared with Tuesday's close. London's FTSE 100 meanwhile rose 0.63 percent to 6,977.70 points nearing midday after upbeat British unemploym