Topdanmark surges on Sampo buyout bid
SSP Group falls after GS downgrade
STOXX 600 up 0.3

June 17 Reuters European shares advanced on Monday, with banks and technology stocks rebounding from losses last week after markets were startled by political uncertainty in France, while Danish insurer Topdanmark surged on Sampo39;s buyout bid.

As of 0816 GMT, the panEuropean STOXX 600 was up 0.3, coming off its worst weekly percentage fall so far this year.

Technology stocks led sectoral gains with a 1.6 jump after falling nearly 2 last week, while European banks advanced nearly 1 after tumbling more than 8 last week.

European markets have been under pressure after President Emmanuel Macron called for a snap election following a trouncing of his ruling centrist party by Marine Le Pen39;s eurosceptic National Rally in the European parliament elections.

We39;re seeing the divergence between European and U.S. equities become very clear … France has evidenced the most because of the snap election and the fear that rightwing parties could be gathering more and more, said Daniela Hathorn, a senior market analyst at Capital.com.

There is a lot of indecision and a lot for the markets to take in.

Most bourses in the region rose on the day, with France39;s benchmark CAC 40 gaining 0.5 after falling more than 6 last week.

In contrast, basic resources shed 0.7 as most metal prices slipped after data showed top consumer China39;s industrial output was weaker than expected in May….