European Stocks Surge as ING, NatWest, and Shell Outperform

European stocks opened higher, with the Stoxx 600 index rising by 1.13%. Key indices such as Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC 40, Spain’s IBEX 35, and Italy’s FTSE MIB all gained over 1%.

Among notable stocks, ING Groep NV saw a 4.5% increase after announcing its first-quarter earnings and a stock buyback plan. Standard Chartered’s shares rose by 2.4%, driven by a 10% profit increase that exceeded expectations. NatWest (NATWEST) experienced a 4% rise in early trading following a 36% profit growth in the first quarter.

STMicroelectronics’ shares listed in Milan climbed 2.8% in early trading. Conversely, BASF’s stock fell by 1.9% after reporting sales below expectations. Shell’s shares increased by 3% as the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter profits and announced a $3.5 billion stock buyback program.