* FTSEurofirst 300 falls 0.1 percent
* UK FTSE 100 hits 6,000 mark for 1st time since June 2008
* SAS jumps on Lufthansa planned takeover report
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click on []
By Dominic Lau
LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - European shares on Thursday
pulled back from a 27-month high touched earlier in thin
pre-Christmas trade, though Britain's FTSE 100 <> topped
the 6,000-mark for the first time since June 2008.
Shares in Scandinavian carrier SAS <SAS.ST>, half owned by
Denmark, Norway and Sweden, surged 14.5 percent on a report that
Lufthansa <LHAG.DE> planned a takeover. []
SAS, Lufthansa, whose shares put on 0.3 percent, and the
Swedish and Norwegian governments declined to coment.
Heavyweight miners were among the top sectoral losers, with
the STOXX Europe 600 basic resources index <.SXPP> down 0.4
percent as copper <CMCU3> fell from record high hit earlier this
week on year-end book squaring.
The UK benchmark ended 0.2 percent higher at 5,996.07 points
after reaching a high of 6,000.55 just before the close, boosted
by energy stocks such as BP <BP.L>, which rose 1.4 percent.
The FTSEurofirst 300 <> closed 0.1 percent lower at
1,146.49 points, after three straight sessions of rise. Volumes
were about 43 percent of the index's 90-day daily average.
A North Korean official saying his country was prepared to
wage a "sacred war" against the South using its nuclear
deterrent had no discernible impact on European equities.
"Expectations have improved a lot because we haven't had a
double dip (recession), earnings are strong and the consensus
for the economy next year will be strong," said Mark Bon, fund
manager at Canada Life in London.
However, with the sovereign debt crisis in the background he
didn't think people "are all-out bullish," Bon said, adding that
the other concern was whether China would be successful in
cooling its property market.
"There is still some anxiety but the anxiety is a lot less
than it was last year and the market should do quite well next
year," he said, adding that improving global growth favoured
companies with international exposure.
Equities have lately been buoyed by expectations of brighter
economic outlook in the United States after further stimulus and
continuing strong growth in China and India, while prospects of
more M&A deals also offer support.
Denmark A.P. Moller-Maersk's <MAERSKb.CO> agreement to buy
oil assets in Brazil from South Korea's SK Energy <096770.KS>
for $2.4 billion was among the latest in corporate activity.
Maersk shares added 0.7 percent.
Rio Tinto <RIO.L> offered $3.9 billion to buy
African-focused coal miner Riversdale <RIV.AX> in an agreed deal
that is likely to be challenged by rivals seeking to secure
coking coal reserves []. Rio lost 1 percent.
The FTSEurofirst 300 is up 7.7 percent this month, on track
for its best monthly percentage gain since July 2009, and has
risen 9.9 percent so far this year.
BRIGHTER OUTLOOK
New U.S. claims for jobless benefits dipped last week and
consumer spending rose for a fifth straight month in November,
while new orders for U.S. made goods excluding transportation
rose more than expected last month, to record their largest gain
in eight months.
Across Europe, Germany's DAX <> eased 0.1 percent and
France's CAC 40 <> slipped 0.2 percent.
"The rally we've seen reflects the stronger growth
expectations around the world," said Ronan Carr, European equity
strategist at Morgan Stanley in London.
"Sentiment indicators have also rebounded. But the
tug-of-war between this and the sovereign debt issues in Europe
will continue to be a theme into the new year."
After the market close, Fitch Ratings cut Portugal's credit
rating by one notch to A-plus, reflecting an even slower
reduction in its current account deficit and a much more
difficult financing environment for banking. []
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk <NOVOb.CO> rose 3.2 percent
after the company announced positive results from phase III
trials with its new-generation insulin Degludec. []
(Additional reporting by Brian Gorman)
