European stocks eye record after good earnings and strong U.K. retail sales data

European stocks eyed fresh record highs on Friday as sentiment was lifted by upbeat U.K. retail sales data and strong results from a raft of top companies. The STOXX Europe 600 index XX:SXXP,which encapsulates many of the biggest companies on the continent, at one point rose to just above €491, a few points shy of the barometer’s record close of €494.35 touched on Jan. 5 2022.Stocks in the U.K. provided propulsion, with the FTSE 100 UK:UKXindex gaining 1.3% after new data publish