Shares in Lafarge rise 2.9 per cent, with Credit Suisse upgrading its recommendation on the cement manufacturer to "outperform" from "neutral" as it sees the firm offering a more compelling investment than Holcim.

Credit Suisse expects Lafarge’s share price to catch up with Holcim in the coming months, and raises its target price for the French cement maker to EUR48 from EUR45, while cutting its recommendation on Holcim to "underperform" from "neutral" and CRH to "neutral" from "outperform".