Europe open: Shares up as traders assess impact of al-Assad's fall

(Sharecast News) - European shares were higher at the open as traders assessed the potential fallout from the collapse of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime, while a fall in China consumer prices inflation was also in focus.

The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.32% to 522.04 in early deals. Investors are also eyeing a European Central Bank policy meeting later this week where the expectation is for another 25 basis point rate cut.

Assad's fall and subsequent flight to Russia after decades oppressing and torturing opponents aided by Russia and Iran was welcomed by many in the West, but analysts fear a power vacuum could pose a serious threat to stability in the region as rival factions battle for power.

In economic news, Chinese inflation fell to its lowest level in five months indicating that recent stimulus measures from the government had failed to stimulate demand in the world's second-biggest economy.

The consumer price index rose 0.2% last month year-on-year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics published on Monday, below the 0.3% increase in October and expectations of a 0.5% rise.

In equity news, shares in HelloFresh slumped on news that the US Department of Labor had launched an investigation into allegations that German meal-kit provider employed migrant children at a factory in Aurora, Illinois.

The claims suggest that at least six teenagers from Guatemala were working night shifts in cooking and packaging roles.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com