Europe shares rise; banks up, Eurogroup meeting eyed

                                
 * FTSEurofirst 300 index up 0.7 percent
                                
 * Banks gain ahead of Eurogroup meeting
                                
 * British Airways up on U.S. DOT decision
                                
 
                                
 By Joanne Frearson
                                
 LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - European shares rose in morning
trade on Monday, with banks and commodity stocks in the lead, as
investors waited on a euro zone finance minister meeting for
clarity over a possible Greek rescue package.
                                
 By 0937 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top
European shares was up 0.7 percent at 994.91 points. The index
rose nearly 26 percent in 2009. However, it is down 4.9 percent
this year, partly on worries over Greece's deficit.
                                
 "The main event is the EU finance ministers meeting today.
Markets will be looking for the ministers to add clarity to (the
Greece situation)," said Bernard McAlinden, market strategist at
NCB Stockbrokers.
                                
 "It will be all about what information they do or don't give
about Greece."
                                
 Euro zone finance ministers will pile up pressure on Greece
on Monday to fully implement planned budget deficit cuts.
[ID:nLDE61D0DC]
                                
 Banks added the most points to the pan-European index. HSBC
<HSBA.L>, Barclays <BARC.L> and Banco Santander <SAN.MC> were up
0.8 to 2.4 percent.
                                
 Miners were in demand as copper <MCU3=LX> rose 0.4 percent
and nickel <MNI3=LX> gained 1.1 percent.
                                
 Anglo American <AAL.L>, Antofagasta <ANTO.L>, BHP Billiton
<BLT.L>, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation <ENRC.L>, Rio
Tinto <RIO.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> were 1.5 to 2.7 percent
higher.
                                
 Energy stocks were in favour. BG Group <BG.L>, BP <BP.L>,
Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L> and Total <TOTF.PA> rose 0.5 to 1
percent.
                                
 
                                
 BRITISH AIRWAYS SOARS
                                
 British Airways <BAY.L> rose 4.9 percent after the U.S.
Department of Transportation gave its tentative approval to
grant antitrust immunity to American Airlines <AMR.N> and four
oneworld partners to form a global alliance. [ID:nLDE61D0C9]
                                
 Air Liquide <AIRP.PA> rose 2.9 percent after it said it
expects further profit growth in 2010 after a slight rise in
2009. [ID:nLDE61A1T4]
                                
 Shares in truckmaker MAN <MANG.DE> gained 1.9 percent after
investors saw the impact of one-off charges on the company's
bottom line as limited. [ID:nLDE61C08X]
                                
 Renault <RENA.PA> was 3.1 percent higher after Japanese car
maker Nissan <7201.T>, which it holds a 44 percent stake in the
French company, said it expected to be debt-free by the end of
2010. [ID:nLDE61D039]
                                
 On the downside, Yara International <YAR.OL> fell 5.4
percent after it said it had agreed to buy Terra Industries
<TRA.N> for $4.1 billion which will be partly funded by a rights
issue. [ID:nLDE61E069]
                                
 U.S. markets are closed on Monday for the Presidents' Day
holiday, while many Asian exchanges were shut for the Chinese
New Year. The Greek market was also closed.
                                
 Across Europe, the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> index was up 0.8
percent, Germany's DAX <.GDAXI> rose 0.6 percent and France's
CAC 40 <.FCHI> gained 0.8 percent.