Banks boost European shares ahead of EU summit

                                
 * FTSEurofirst 300 index up 0.7 percent
                                
 * Banks gain ahead of EU summit
                                
 * Miners, oils up as results please
                                
 By Joanne Frearson
                                
 LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Thursday
morning for the fourth consecutive session, with banks among the
major gainers ahead of a key EU summit which could lay the
groundwork for a rescue package of debt-stricken Greece.
                                
 By 0925 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3>
index was up 0.7 percent at 994.04 points. The index is down 4.8
percent this year after gaining nearly 26 percent in 2009.
                                
 Banks featured among the top performers on global economic
optimism. Credit Suisse <CSGN.VX> rose 2.8 percent as it
continued to attract client flows while sector peers have
struggled, despite quarterly profits missing forecasts.
[ID:nLDE61926D]
                                
 BNP Paribas <BNPP.PA>, National Bank of Greece <NBGr.AT> and
Standard Chartered <STAN.L> gained 0.9 to 3.4 percent.
                                
 "All eyes are on the EU meeting and what happens with the
Greeks. It is all about a question of confidence today," said
Justin Urquhart Stewart, director at Seven Investment
Management.
                                
 "The markets want to see signs that Europe can stand up and
have a clear path ... We are looking for clarity of thought to
stop any further worries that this is not just in the peripheral
economies but other European areas."
                                
 An EU government source said euro area finance ministers
agreed their countries would take "determined and coordinated
action" to help Greece, drawing on the International Monetary
Fund's expertise but not the fund's money. [ID:nLDE61A0HS]
                                
 Across Europe, the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> index was up 1.3
percent, Germany's DAX <.GDAXI> rose 0.6 percent, France's CAC
40 <.FCHI> gained 1 percent and Greece's benchmark <.ATG> added
1.5 percent.
                                
 
                                
 MINERS IN DEMAND
                                
 Miners were in demand, with Rio Tinto <RIO.L> up 4.3 percent
after its second-half profit was well ahead of analysts'
forecasts, thanks to $2.6 billion in cost cuts. [ID:nSGE6190H7]
                                
 Firmer metal prices also boosted the sector after data
showed a surge in employment in Australia and
stronger-than-expected bank lending in China.
                                
 Anglo American <AAL.L>, Antofagasta <ANTO.L>, BHP Billiton
<BLT.L>, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation <ENRC.L> and
Xstrata <XTA.L> were 3.3 to 4.3 percent higher.
                                
 Energy stocks also gained as crude <CLc1> rose 0.4 percent
on an upbeat forecast from the U.S. Energy Information
Administration. French oil major Total <TOTF.PA> was up 2.6
percent after its net results for the quarter slightly beat
forecasts.
                                
 BG Group <BG.L>, BP <BP.L> and Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L>
all rose 1.4 percent.
                                
 On the downside, Diageo <DGE.L> fell 2.4 percent after it
posted underlying earnings for the half year to end-December of
44.2 pence a share, which was below a consensus of 46.2 pence.
[ID:nLDE6192L6]
                                
 BT Group <BT.L> lost 6.2 percent as a disagreement with the
pension regulator overshadowed third-quarter results, which came
in towards the upper end of forecasts. [ID:nLDE6190M3]
                                
 Alcatel-Lucent <ALUA.PA> slipped 6.3 percent after it missed
revenue expectations, posted a wider than forecast loss and cut
its 2010 operating margin target, buffeted by a tough market for
telecommunications gear. [ID:nLDE6190QX]
                                
 (Editing by Sharon Lindores)