European Stocks Gained, Following Energy Firms

European stocks advanced, led by energy companies and drugmakers after oil rose for a fourth day and Merck & Co. forecast earnings that topped analysts' estimates, Bloomberg reported.

BP Plc and Statoil ASA led oil and gas producers, the region's worst-performing stocks this year, to their biggest increase in three weeks. GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Europe's largest drug company, climbed to a seven-week high after getting U.S. approval to sell a new ointment for skin infection.

The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index added 0.2 percent to 381.69 at 11 a.m. in London, heading for a 0.4 percent gain this week. The Stoxx 50 rose 0.4 percent and the Euro Stoxx 50, a measure for the 13 nations sharing the euro, increased 0.2 percent.