European stocks higher

On Tuesday European stocks edged higher as the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that a parliamentary vote is needed to trigger the two-year countdown to Brexit.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.2 percent at 9:46 a.m. in London, after rising as much as 0.4 percent on the ruling. The FTSE 100 Index extended gains, up 0.3 percent as the pound headed lower.

Miners led gains in the Stoxx 600, jumping 2.1 percent toward their highest level since 2014. Energy shares and insurers also advanced, while BT Group Plc dragged telecommunications companies lower.

A rally in the Stoxx 600 has lost steam in January. After boosting equities following Donald Trump’s U.S. election on bets of faster economic growth, investors are unwinding some of those positions as he emphasizes protectionist policies.

The pound and gilts fell as investors bet a Supreme Court loss for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May won’t derail the start of a process to exit the European Union.

The U.K.’s highest court ruled May needs to seek parliamentary approval to trigger Brexit, an expected decision that hands lawmakers a chance to try to amend the government’s stance. The judges ruled unanimously that legislatures in Scotland and Northern Ireland don’t get to vote on the Article 50 process, which could have delayed May’s end-March time frame.

Asian shares fluctuated as Japanese equities fell after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership accord.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was down 0.1 percent as of 3:30 p.m. in Hong Kong, erasing earlier gains. Seven out of 11 industry gauges increased. The end of U.S. participation in the free trade agreement with 11 other nations including Japan unnerved investors on both sides of the Pacific. Oil rose as Iraq said it’s close to implementing its share of pledged output curbs.