Historical European Stock Market Milestones

European markets have experienced several periods of sustained growth and significant rallies, with current performance contributing to a history of notable market milestones.

The top 3

  1. Longest Sustained Bull Markets: The STOXX Europe 600 index recorded its longest series of monthly growth since 2013, with eight consecutive months of gains by February 2026. Historically, a bull market is defined as a price increase of more than 20%.
  2. Major European Indices' All-Time Highs: The pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index closed at a record high of 660.25 points on August 7, 2026, surpassing a previous record set in early July. The Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) also reached an all-time high of 6564.30 in August 2026.
  3. Biggest Annual Gains for European Indices: The MSCI Europe index recorded its best annual returns in 1975 (+51.3%), 1985 (+47.4%), and 1993 (+41.7%). For the EURO STOXX 50 index, its best years were 1999 (+48.6%), 1993 (+43.6%), and 1997 (+40.1%).

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