Stocks make modest gains amid uncertainty Markets across Europe made modest gains on Thursday morning, with the exception of Greece, underscoring growing concerns about the country's political crisis. KBC Groep made some of the biggest gains across Europe, climbing 4.9 per cent to €12.72. The Belgian bank helped push the FTSE Eurofirst 300 up 1.1 per cent to €982.63. French companies were among the best performers on the Europe-wide index. Shares in utility company Suez Environment rose 4.7 per cent to €12.70, while internet service provider Iliad climbed 3.9 per cent to €104.95. Shares in Natixis, the French bank, rose 3.3 per cent to €1.99. The broader CAC 40 index was one of the best performing indices in Europe, climbing 1.1 per cent to 3,037.41 in morning trading. Softer manufacturing data from Germany failed to deter investors, who sent the Xetra Dax index up 0.8 per cent to 6,327.14. The results showed the manufacturing sector contracted at the fastest pace in three years. In Spain, investors continued their sell-off of Bankia after the government failed to give details on the final amount of public funds the part-nationalised bank would need to be recapitalised. Shares slumped 4.1 per cent to €1.63. The broader IBEX 35 climbed 1.4 per cent to 6,528.5. In Italy, the FTSE MIB rose 0.9 per cent 13,073.71. Meanwhile, investors focussed their pessimism on Greece, where the Athens General index slid downwards for a fourth consecutive session. The benchmark index fell 1.7 per cent to 517.46, as pledges by European leaders yesterday to combat the sovereign debt crisis and keep Greece in the euro fell short of concrete action. "Until the market really knows that a Spanish euro is the same as a German euro it will continue to attack the system knowing there is no hard money behind the rhetoric of unity," said Chris Rice, manager of the Cazenove European Fund.