* FTSEurofirst 300 gains 0.7 pct; up 47 pct since March low
* French, German GDP data, Fed statement support markets
* Banks among top gainers; miners track higher metal prices
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click on []
By Atul Prakash
LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Thursday,
with sentiment improving after the Federal Reserve said the U.S.
economy was showing signs of levelling out and data showed
France and Germany returned to economic growth.
At 0830 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 <> index of top
European shares was up 0.7 percent at 948.74 points. The index,
which slumped 45 percent in 2008, has gained 14 percent this
year and is up 47 percent since a lifetime low in March.
Financial shares were among top gainers in Europe, with
Standard Chartered <STAN.L>, Barclays <BARC.L>, Lloyds <LLOY.L>,
Royal Bank of Scotland <RBS.L>, BNP Paribas <BNPP.PA> and
Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> gaining 1-3.9 percent.
"Overall market sentiment is pretty positive," said Koen
De Leus, economist at KBC Securities. "What is very surprising
today is that the German economy is growing and that's a big
help for the market, but the most important thing today is going
to be the retail sales figures in the United States."
U.S. retail sales data for July, due at 1230 GMT, were
forecast up 0.7 percent rise after a 0.6 percent rise in June.
The markets cheered after news that France and Germany
enjoyed a surprising return to economic growth in the second
quarter, ending their recessions earlier than many policymakers
and economists had expected. []
That followed Wednesday's statement from the U.S. Federal
Reserve saying it saw the recession nearing an end and that
shattered financial markets were healing. The U.S. central bank
also kept its benchmark short-term interest rate steady near
zero. []
Miners enjoyed a good day, with copper prices <MCU3> rising
1.9 percent, aluminium <MAL3> up 1.8 percent and nickel <MNI3>
jumping 4.4 percent.
BHP Billiton <BLT.L>, Anglo American <AAL.L>, Antofagasta
<ANTO.L>, Rio Tinto <RIO.L>, Xstrata <XTA.L> and Eurasian
Natural Resources <ENRC.L> rose 3.1-4.3 percent.
Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 index <>, Germany's
DAX <> and France's CAC 40 <> rose 0.6-0.8 percent.
PRUDENTIAL UP, AEGON SLIPS
Britain's biggest insurer, Prudential <PRU.L>, jumped 4.4
percent after it raised its interim dividend when reporting a
smaller-than-expected drop in first-half profit and saying its
capital position remained strong. []
"Prudential has confirmed its credentials as a leader in its
space with a set of numbers which surpassed expectations," said
Richard Hunter, head of UK Equities at Hargreaves Lansdown
Stockbrokers. "The shares have had a reasonable run of late but
the market believes there is further to go, and the general
consensus remains a buy."
But Dutch insurer Aegon NV <AEGN.AS> fell 6.5 percent after
reporting a surprise second-quarter loss and said it would sell
up to 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in stock to partially repay
aid from the Dutch state. []
Anheuser-Busch InBev <ABI.BR> fell 2.9 percent after the
world's largest brewer said the second half would be
significantly weaker. The company reported second-quarter profit
above analyst forecasts. []
Among other individual movers, Thomas Cook <TCG.L>, Europe's
second-biggest travel firm, fell 5.9 percent after it said it
did not expect to meet its 2010 operating profit target of 480
million pounds ($789 million) because of tough markets.
[]
RWE <RWEG.DE>, Europe's fifth-largest utility, met forecasts
with a 3.8 percent rise in first-half operating profit, as
lucrative power sales made up for weak earnings in Britain and
from selling gas. [] Its shares fell 0.6 percent.
(Editing by Dan Lalor)
