Richemont reported better-than-expected quarterly sales, triggering a rally in luxury stocks, after its core jewelry division bucked a downturn in demand for high-end goods.

For the first time since the Great Recession, the luxury market has been trying to navigate one of its worst slumps. An uncertain global economy and the softening in customer spending have caused many high-end companies to suffer financially due to the continuous slowdown in sales,

Richemont sales unexpectedly jumped by a double-digit percentage during the holiday shopping season as consumers splurged on Cartier jewelry, lifting shares across the luxury-goods sector on hopes of a rebound.

Richemont, the owner of Cartier jewellery, on Thursday fuelled hopes of a revival for the beaten down luxury goods industry, with end-of-year sales that exceeded expectations, sending shares higher across the sector.

Richemont reported better-than-expected sales for its fiscal third quarter, in the midst of a downward trend in demand for luxury goods that is weighing on most high-end brands.

Richemont, the owner of Cartier jewellery, beat market expectations for third-quarter sales on Thursday, fuelling hopes that the luxury sector could be coming out of its recent downturn. The Swiss company's sales jumped 10% year-on-year to 6.

Richemont reported strong quarterly results, driven by festival sales, despite ongoing weak demand in China. The robust earnings lifted rival share prices, buoying the European luxury sector on Thursday.