(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 20 mar - European share prices opened higher as a cooling in crude oil prices provided some relief to investors following yesterday's selloff.

Markets were supported by signals from the US and Israel indicating restraint regarding attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, alongside comments from US treasury secretary Scott Bessent on the potential lifting of sanctions for Iranian oil cargoes currently at sea.

The positive open comes on a "quadruple witching" day, the simultaneous expiration of stock and index options and futures, which typically triggers a spike in market volatility.

Investors are also monitoring the European Council meeting where leaders are discussing the Middle East escalation and efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

On the data front, German producer prices (PPI) fell 0.5% month on month in February and dropped 3.3% year on year, according to figures from statistics office Destatis.

Excluding energy, producer prices rose 1.0% compared to the same month a year earlier.

At 0806 GMT, London's FTSE 100 was up 0.47% at 10,111.11 points while in Frankfurt the DAX was 1.08% higher at 23,099.77 points and in Paris the CAC 40 rose 0.80% to 7,870.61 points. Milan's FTSE MIB gained 0.92% to 44,101.50 points while in Madrid the IBEX 35 was 1.33% higher at.

17,130.11 points.

(RADIOCOR) 20-03-26 09:14:50 (0163) 5 NNNN