European stocks hit record highs: The 10 best performers of 2026

European stocks hit record highs: The 10 best performers of 2026

The STOXX Europe 600 has reached record highs. Meet the 10 best-performing European stocks of 2026 and what is fuelling their gains.

Fidelity European Trust – long-term opportunities in European stocks

Marcel Stötzel, lead manager of the Fidelity European Trust (LSE: FEV), isn’t deterred by claims that Europe’s economic record and outlook are just as dismal as the UK’s.“Europe is plagued by poor demographics, low productivity and high government debt, none of which are getting any better,” he agrees. Economic output per capita is half the level of the US. But European stocks are not proxies for their economies, as they derive only a third of t…