Europe open: Shares up as traders assess German data; Puig slumps

(Sharecast News) - European shares opened higher as traders assessed economic data from Germany and the latest developments in the US-Iran war. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.47% to 623 at 0840 BST with all major bourses higher.

Germany's DAX gained 0.33% after official data confirmed Europe's biggest economy grew by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the previous three months.

Meanwhile, German consumer sentiment recovered heading into June, as households' income expectations improved, according to a widely-read survey.

The GfK/Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions consumer sentiment index rose to -29.8 points for June from a revised -33.1 points in May.

In the UK, retail sales fell 1.3% in April from the previous month, after rising 0.6% in March, with fuel sales plunging more than 10% as motorists conserved fuel amid price volatility because of the Iran war.