World shares hold near record highs

By Tom Arnold LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks stayed close to record highs on Monday as investors weighed surging European business activity and a welcome U.S. jobs report against worries about the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19. The STOXX index of 600 leading European companies was 0.3% higher, reversing earlier losses after data showed euro zone businesses expanded activity at the fastest rate in 15 years in June. Activity for British services firms also soared in June, albeit at a slightly slower rate. Britain's FTSE was up 0.5% ahead of an announcement by Prime Minister Bor...