* FTSEurofirst 300 rises 2.9 pct, biggest gain in 3 months
* Rebound in Chinese manufacturing sector boosts miners
* U.S. ISM data further boosts sentiment
* M&A talk lifts Cable & Wireless Worldwide, TUI Travel
By Brian Gorman
LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - European shares registered their
biggest daily gain in more than three months on Wednesday, on
strong manufacturing data from the United States and China, the
world's two biggest economies.
The FTSEurofirst 300 <> index of leading European
shares rose 2.9 percent to close at 1,055.69 points, its biggest
one-day percentage rise since May 27. The index lost 1.7 percent
last month, but Wednesday's rise took it back into positive
territory for 2010.
"The main reason is the data from China, and that was
needed, because China is one of the few pockets of strength
left," said Heino Ruland, strategist at Ruland Research in
Frankfurt.
"Equities are not expensive, so any sign of a resumption of
stronger growth, and people will look at purchasing equities as
opposed to bonds."
Miners were the standout gainers, as the price of copper and
other metals gained on a better outlook. A weaker dollar also
helped. Antofagasta <KAZ.L>, Kazakhmys <KAZ.L>, Rio Tinto
<RIO.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> rose between 6 and 6.9 percent.
Energy companies gained as crude prices <CLc1> headed
higher, despite a rise in oil stockpiles. Total <TOTF.PA>, BP
<BP.L> and Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L> rose between 2.1 and 3.5
percent.
HSBC's China Purchasing Managers' Index rose in August to a
three-month high of 51.9 from 49.4 in July, pointing to a
moderate improvement in the manufacturing sector as both output
and new orders resumed growth. []
The U.S. manufacturing sector grew faster than expected in
August, chalking up a 13th straight month of expansion, helping
to calm fears that economic growth was stagnating.
[]
In a broad market rally, the heavyweight banking sector also
gave the index a boost. French banks BNP Paribas <BNPP.PA> and
Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> rose 5.9 and 5.6 percent,
respectively, bouncing from recent weakness. Standard Chartered
<STAN.L>, which will be promoted to the Stoxx Europe 50
<> this month, rose 4.1 percent.
But other reports on Wednesday showing private employers
unexpectedly cut jobs last month and construction spending
tumbled to a 10-year low in July served as a reminder that
recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s would trace a
difficult path.
Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 <> and Germany's DAX
<> both ended the day 2.7 percent higher; France's CAC 40
<> rose 3.8 percent.
Wall Street was higher around the time European bourses were
closing. The Dow Jones <>, S&P 500 <.SPX> and Nasdaq
Composite <> were up between 2.4 and 2.8 percent.
M&A BOOSTS
Merger and acquisition talk, buoyed by several deals in the
pipeline, including BHP's hostile bid for Canadian group Potash
Corp <POT.TO>, also lifted the market.
Cable & Wireless Worldwide <CWP.L> surged 7.7 percent, with
traders citing talk of bid interest from U.S. rival AT&T <T.N>.
The British telecoms company would not comment.
TUI Travel <TT.L>, Europe's largest travel company, climbed
7.5 percent after the Financial Times Deutschland reported
majority shareholder TUI AG <TUIGn.DE> was considering buying
the shares in the London-listed company it does not already own.
German group TUI AG gained 5.1 percent.
Vivendi <VIV.PA>, Europe's largest telecom and entertainment
group, rose 5 percent after strong results, helping the media
sector index <.SXMP> to a gain of 3 percent.
Ruland added: "In the U.S. ISM, the sub-index dealing with
the intention to employ was especially strong.
"After the performance of equity markets in August, any
really bad scenario has already been priced in. But we're still
looking to the labour market report on Friday, and the rally we
have seen here could be reversed."
(Editing by Will Waterman)
