Energy companies lead European shares higher

                                
 * FTSEurofirst 300 rises 0.7 percent
                                
 * Energy companies gain as crude tops $86
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news, click on [STXNEWS/EU]
                                
 
                                
 By Brian Gorman
                                
 LONDON, April 6 (Reuters) - European shares rose in early
trade on Tuesday, hitting a new 18-month high, tracking gains in
the United States, where sentiment was boosted by a stronger
labour market.
 At 0834 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top
European shares was up 0.7 percent at 1,101.27 points, after
rising 1.4 percent in the previous session to its highest close
since September 2008.
                                
 The European benchmark is up more than 70 percent from its
lifetime low of March 9, 2009.
                                
 Energy companies gained, as U.S. crude futures <CLc1> closed
at more than $86 a barrel, the highest in 18 months, on Monday,
though they slipped on Tuesday as the dollar strengthened.
 Total <TOTF.PA>, ENI <ENI.MI>, Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.AS>,
Repsol <REP.MC> and StatoilHydro <STL.OL> rose between 0.9 and
2.8 percent.
                                
 "The payrolls data was outstanding but the Fed is going to
start thinking about the point at which it exits its easy
monetary stance," said Jeremy Batstone-Carr, strategist at
Charles Stanley.
                                
 "The sweet spot conditions are ending. It's going to be
tougher from here."
                                
 Miners gained as metals prices rose, with copper <MCU3=LX>
at its highest since August 2008.
                                
 Anglo American <AAL.L>, Kazakhmys <KAZ.L>, Lonmin <LMI.L>,
Vedanta <VED.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> rose between 1.6 and 2.3
percent.
 The heavyweight banking sector also boosted the index. Banco
Santander <SAN.MC>, Deutsche Bank <DBKGn.DE>, Lloyds <LLOY.L>
and UBS <UBSN.VX> rose between 0.6 and 1.1 percent.
                                
 Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 <.FTSE>, Germany's DAX
<.GDAXI> and France's CAC40 <.FCHI> were up between 0.5 and 0.8
percent. 
                                
European bourses have re-opened after an extended four-day
weekend for the Easter holiday.
                                
 Wall Street was closed on Friday but re-opened on Monday,
when stocks rose, pushing the Dow <.DJI> up near the 11,000
level, after data on Friday showed the economy added the most
jobs in three years.
                                
 The upbeat mood continued on Monday, when data showed the
U.S. services sector grew at its fastest pace in nearly four
years in March and future home sales unexpectedly rose in
February. [ID:nN05117920]
                                
 
                                
 ADMIRAL GAINS
                                
 Among individual shares, insurer Admiral <ADML.L> rose 4.3
percent after brokers said recent management presentations had
been impressive.
                                
 In economics, investor sentiment in the euro zone improved
this month to its most optimistic level in almost two years, the
Sentix research group said on Tuesday.
                                
 Sentix's gauge of investor sentiment rose to 2.5 in April
from -7.5 in March, hitting positive territory for the first
time since June 2008, data showed.
                                
 Both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank are
expected to leave their respective key interest rates at record
lows on Thursday.
  (Editing by Mike Nesbit)