European bourses closed higher on Monday, as investors shifted their attention to political events across Europe and two unfolding terror attacks in London and Paris.

The pan-European STOXX 600 closed 0.87 percent higher provisionally, with almost all sectors and major bourses finishing in positive territory.

Industrial, oil and gas, and basic material stocks led the gains in Europe on Monday. Among the top performers, Royal Philips (Euronext Amsterdam: PHIA-NL) jumped over 6.45 percent after hedge fund Third Pont was reported to have been buying shares of the Amsterdam-listed health care heavyweight.

Aberdeen Asset Management (London Stock Exchange: ADN-GB) rose 5 percent in afternoon deals Monday after shareholders approved a proposed merger with Standard Life by a majority of 95.81 percent. Standard Life (London Stock Exchange: SL.-GB) also rose 2.3 percent.

Credit Suisse (Swiss Exchange: CSGN-CH) shares closed up 3.42 percent on Monday. The Swiss bank found favor among analysts at Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBK-DE), Morgan (MS) Stanley (MS) and Citi. Deutsche Bank upgraded Credit Suisse to a "buy" rating.

Ocado (London Stock Exchange: OCDO-GB) ended the day at the top of the benchmark, climbing more than 11 percent as the British online grocery company was considered the latest target of Amazon.com, which bid to purchase Whole Foods last week.

In Paris, the CAC 40 (Euronext Paris: .FCHI) index notched its biggest rise in over six weeks on news French President Emmanuel Macron had strengthened his political position over the weekend. Macron won 350 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly on Sunday, with French shares climbing almost 1 percent.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic U.S. markets were higher as technology stocks bounced back from series of losses last week. The Dow hit a new record high in early morning deals.

Terror attacks

London saw its third terror attack in as many months early Monday morning when a van drove into a group of people who had been observing prayer at a Mosque in the north of the city. Then, later Monday, an area of the Champs Elysee in Paris was cordoned off after a car rammed into a police van .

Brexit talks

Investors in Europe also kept a close eye on the political sphere in the region on Monday, as U.K. Brexit Secretary David Davis went to Brussels to begin negotiations. Sterling (Exchange:GBP=) inched higher against the dollar (STOXX:.DXY). The U.K. currency was 0.14 percent higher at $1.2792 just after midday. The meeting marked almost one year since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union.

The discussions also came less than two weeks after Theresa May and her Conservative Party lost their overall majority in parliament , adding more uncertainty to the current state of British politics.

—Reuters and Everett Rosenfeld contributed to this report.

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