France’s CAC 40 rose 0.5% and Germany’s DAX index rose 1.3% on Monday morning. The UK’s FTSE 100 index was closed on Monday for the Christmas holiday.
Trump avoided a government shutdown on Sunday night and extended unemployment benefits to millions of Americans. The signature came days after Trump suggested he would veto the legislation, requiring $ 2,000 in direct payments to Americans, instead of $ 600. U.S. stock futures rose slightly with the news.
In Asia, Alibaba’s shares in Hong Kong fell more than 8% for the second consecutive session, after Chinese regulators ordered Alibaba Ant Group’s affiliate to rectify its business.
Back in Europe, traders responded to the announcement of a Brexit trade agreement between the UK and the EU. The deal, sealed after markets closed on December 24, still needs to be approved this week by UK lawmakers ahead of the December 31 deadline.
In the news about individual shares, the Italian Saipem saw its shares rise 1.9% after signing an agreement with the Italian navy. Germany’s Deutsche Post rose 3% after its CEO said the company expected a record profit for 2020.
—Eustance Huang and Yun Li from CNBC contributed to this article.