Major European stocks kicked off Wednesday's session in the positive territory as investors digested the latest report on retail sales across Germany during April. Discussions on the ECB's upcoming rate hikes continued, with Deutsche Bank estimating at least one 50 basis point rate increase in the third trimester of 2022.
The DAX gained 0.63% at the opening bell, with Deutsche Bank rising 1.35%. The FTSE 100 rose by 0.31%, and the CAC 40 increased by 0.62%. Both the euro and the dollar traded flat against the dollar at 9:00 am CET to sell for 1.07261 and 1.25989, respectively.