European shares rise near record highs

European shares jumped on Thursday, driven by optimism in Asia after news that China is considering pumping money into major banks, while investors awaited comments from the head of the European Central Bank.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 1% to 524.56 points, approaching a record high of 526.66 points.

The technology and basic resources sectors provided the biggest support to the index, each rising more than 3%.

In contrast, oil stocks were the biggest drag on the index, losing 2.8%, as oil prices fell.