By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets rebounded on Monday, with oil firms pushing higher alongside rising energy prices.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index gained 0.2% to 335.96, after closing out last week with a 0.5% weekly slide.

France's CAC 40 index rose 0.4% to 4,207.47 on Monday, while Germany's DAX 30 index picked up 0.2% to 9,311.87. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index added 0.3% to 6,584.14.

Oil rally: Oil-related companies posted big gains in Europe, as both crude (CLZ4) and Brent jumped more than 1%. Shares of SBM Offshore NV picked up 5.4%, Subsea 7 SA added 2.6%, Total SA (TOT) gained 1.2% and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) climbed 0.9%.

Catalan independence vote: Around 80% of voters in the Spanish region of Catalonia voted in favor of independence in an informal vote held on Sunday. The poll is nonbinding, but Catalans pointed to the high turnout and hoped it would bolster their case for a binding referendum on separating from Spain.

Data: Industrial production fell more than expected in Italy in September, sliding 0.9% on the month. Economists had expected a fall of 0.2% according to FactSet consensus estimates. Italy's FTSE MIB bucked the positive trend across Europe and slipped 0.1% to 19,077.56.

Russian growth: The Bank of Russia cut its growth outlook for the country, saying it expects the economy to grow by just 0.3% this year, compared with its previous estimate of 0.4%. In a report on its monetary policy for 2015-2017, the central bank said it sees geopolitical issues and external economic conditions as posing serious risks for Russia's economic and monetary policies.

You're invited: A free evening event focusing on investing opportunities in Europe

Will you be in London on Dec. 3? Then you're invited to our MarketWatch Investing Insights event, "The worse Europe gets, the more you should invest"

Governments are in trouble, reform efforts have stalled, unemployment is climbing... the news from the eurozone is bleak. And investors are fleeing. But that's a mistake: The worse the economic data from Europe get, the more you should be buying. Why? Because actions by the ECB will boost asset prices and the stock market in particular. And, big exporters can grow sales. Lower costs and steady sales translate into higher profits and dividends. Join us for an evening of cocktails and conversation to explore these opportunities.

Our panel will be led by MarketWatch Columnist Matthew Lynn, a renowned financial journalist based in London and the author of "Bust: Greece, the Euro and the Sovereign Debt Crisis." He'll be joined by Mark Hulbert, MarketWatch columnist and editor of the Hulbert Financial Digest. This event is free, but RSVPs are required. It will be held Wednesday evening, Dec. 3, in London. For more information or to RSVP, send an email to marketwatchevent@wsj.com

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