European stocks close:

European stocks rose for the first time in three days on speculation that the Federal Reserve will opt for more stimulus, outweighing a surge in Spanish borrowing costs to a euro-era record.

The Federal Open Market Committee holds its next policy meeting on June 20. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said he would support a variety of measures to generate faster job growth.

Spanish borrowing costs climbed as European government bonds slumped on concern policy makers aren’t doing enough to prevent the currency bloc’s financial woes from deepening. The yield on Spain’s 10-year bonds rose 20 basis points to 6.71 percent today, after earlier breaching the euro-era record of 6.78 percent reached on Nov. 17.

Fitch cut the longer-term issuer default ratings of 18 Spanish banks today, including Bankia SA. The company downgraded Spain’s sovereign rating last week. Fitch cited concern that loans will further deteriorate.

National benchmark indexes advanced in 11 of the 18 western-European markets. France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.1 percent, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 added 0.8 percent and Germany’s DAX increased 0.3 percent. Italy’s FTSE MIB slid 0.7 percent as bank stocks retreated.

TomTom surged 16 percent to 3.80 euros, its biggest rally since October after Apple agreed to use its digital maps in the next version of its mobile software.

Lafarge climbed 2.1 percent to 31.28 euros after the world’s largest cement maker said it will increase its earnings by 1.75 billion-euro ($2.2 billion) with new products and spending reductions. That included 1.3 billion euros in cost cuts over the period.