AMSTERDAM/LONDON: European stocks remained near record highs on Wednesday, with investors holding off on taking big bets ahead of a policy decision from the European Central Bank and a US inflation reading later this week.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.1% higher, but stayed just short of a record high of 455.66 hit in the previous session. Air France KLM, Lufthansa and British Airways owner IAG climbed about 3% each after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was easing travel recommendations on 110 countries and territories.

The wider travel and leisure index rose 0.9% as many European economies charted their way out of Covid-19 lockdowns.

Big UK-listed miners such as Rio Tinto, Anglo American and BHP Group fell more than 2% each, pulling down London’s blue-chip FTSE 100 by 0.2%.

Among other main regional bourses, Germany’s DAX fell 0.4% and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.2%. Spanish retail giant Inditex reversed early gains made after beating first-quarter net profit expectations. Its shares were down more than 2.2%.

French food group Danone slipped 0.9% after RBC downgraded the stock to “underperform”.

Oslo-based salmon farmer SalMar fell 5.3% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after it completed a private placement deal.