LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Britain’s FTSE 100 consolidated
recent gains early on Thursday after it had smashed through the
6,000 level for the first time in 17 months in the previous
session.

By 0851 GMT, London’s blue-chip index was up 0.54 of
a point at 6,027.91. It hit its highest level since July 2011 on
Wednesday after the United States secured a deal to stave off a
series of tax hikes and spending cuts that threatened economic
recovery.

LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Britain’s top share index raced
through the 6,000 level for the first time in 17 months on
Wednesday boosted by a last-minute budget deal in the United
States and solid global PMI data.

London’s blue chip index closed up 129.56 points, or 2.2
percent at 6,027.37, bettering the average return on the first
day of trading after the new year over the last 12 years of
about 1.2 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Britain’s top share index smashed
through the 6,000 barrier on Wednesday as investors celebrated a
U.S. budget deal averting tax hikes and spending cuts that
risked pushing the world’s largest economy into recession.

By 1143 GMT London’s blue chip index rose 127.32
points, or 2.1 percent to 6,025.13, breaking above the 6,000
level for the first time since July 2011, driven by big gains in
miners and banks.

LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) – European equities ended slightly
higher in the final trading session of 2012, a year that saw a
sharp rebound in the region’s stocks as bold measures from
central banks soothed fears of a break-up of the euro zone.

With just a few hours remaining before the deadline in U.S.
budget talks, however, investors were unwilling to take on much
risk, keeping trading volumes to extremely low levels.

LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) – European shares ended slightly
higher in the final truncated trading session of 2012, but
investors were unwilling to take on much risk given the U.S.
budget crisis and after strong year-to-date gains.

The FTSEurofirst 300 was up 1.21 points at
1,131.77, while the euro zone blue chip index inched
up 6.59 points to 2,633.44, according to provisional data.

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) – European shares ended the last
full trading session of 2012 lower as wavering expectations
about the outcome of the U.S. budget crisis left overbought
indexes vulnerable to profit taking.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed down 7.04 points, or
0.6 percent, at 1,130.56 on Friday. The Euro STOXX 50
, whose 14-day relative strength index (RSI) – a
widely-used technical momentum indicator – is in ‘overbought’
territory, fell 1.2 percent.

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) – European shares drifted lower in
thin trade on Friday, showing little faith among investors that
new talks can avert at least some version of a New Year budget
crunch in the United States.

By 1122 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 was down 3.39
points, or 0.3 percent at 1,134.21, while the euro zone blue
chip index fell 0.4 percent.

LONDON, Dec 24 (Reuters) – European shares closed
provisionally lower in a thin last trading session before the
Christmas break with investors opting to trim positions in the
absence of a resolution to U.S. budget talks.

French, Dutch, Spanish and UK markets traded for only half
the session while those in Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece,
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were closed.

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) – European shares took a knock on
Friday as the prospect of the United States stumbling over its
“fiscal cliff” of growth-sapping tax hikes and spending cuts
loomed larger after the Republicans’ “Plan B” fell flat.

Republican lawmakers delivered a stinging rebuke to their
leader and failed to back an effort, known as “Plan B”, designed
to extract concessions from President Barack Obama in year-end
“fiscal cliff” talks.

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) – European shares stuttered on
Thursday as indexes approached overbought levels and budget
talks in the United States stalled, with cruise operator
Carnival plunging 6 percent on concerns about its earnings
outlook.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed 0.67 of a point higher
at 1,142.80, trading in a tight four-point range all session,
with its 14-day relative strength index (RSI) – a widely-used
technical momentum indicator – at 67.5, where 70 and above are
considered as ‘overbought’.