European stocks inched up on Wednesday as merger talks powered gains in French grocer Carrefour and Spain’s Telefonica, offsetting weakness in banking stocks on worries about extended lockdowns across the continent. Carrefour shares hit their highest level since August 2019 after Canadian convenience-store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc said it had approached Europe’s biggest retailer to .
The leader of the small Italia Viva party is pulling three ministers from Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s coalition, leaving the government without a majority