In Frankfurt, internet company Wirecard led the DAX higher, rising 4.8%, followed by industrial companies Thyssenkrupp, and Siemens, which gained 1.7% and 1.5% respectively. The FTSE gained 0.16%, the DAX rose 0.30%, and the CAC-40 increased 0.38%. In economic news, the euro area annual inflation rate was 1.4% in January, down from 1.5% in December, and up from 1.3% a year earlier, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.