European shares climbed on Monday as stronger crude oil prices supported commodity stocks, in spite of many traders remaining away from their desks ahead of the new year.
The FTSE Eurofirst 300 rose 0.8 per cent to 810.37 bringing its losses for the year to 47 per cent as pain from the financial sector rippled into the real economy. This compares with gains of 1.6 per cent in 2007, 16 per cent in 2006 and 22 per cent in 2005.
