AMSTERDAM/LONDON: European stocks bounced back on Wednesday after their worst sell-off this year as optimism about a strong earnings season countered worries about a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in some countries. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.7% after a blistering seven-week rally ran into a bout of profit-taking on Tuesday, when it fell 1.9%.

Healthcare stocks gave the STOXX 600 its biggest boost, with Swiss drugmaker Roche jumping 3% after predicting a surge in demand for its drugs for the remainder of 2021.