* FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.5 pct; rebounds after 3-day loss
* Banks among top gainers after recent weakness
* Miners under pressure as copper prices hit two-week low
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click on []
By Atul Prakash
LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - European shares bounced back on
Thursday after a three-session losing streak, with financials
recovering ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision
and food producers gaining ground.
At 1005 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 <> index of top
European shares was up 0.5 percent at 999.36 points after
finishing on Wednesday at its lowest level in more than a week.
The benchmark index is up 20 percent this year and has surged 55
percent since hitting a record low in early March.
Banks were among the top gainers, with Standard Chartered
<STAN.L>, HSBC <HSBA.L>, Barclays <BARC.L>, Lloyds <LLOY.L>,
Royal Bank of Scotland <RBS.L>, Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> and
Credit Agricole <CAGR.PA> rising 0.4 to 2.3 percent.
The DJ STOXX banking index <.SX7P> was up 0.4 percent, after
falling in the previous three sessions on moves this week by
Standard & Poor cutting its outlook on Spain to negative and
Fitch trimming Greek debt to the lowest level in the euro zone.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index has traded in a broad range of
959.65-1,036.39 points in the past three months and has closed
in positive and negative territory almost an equal number of
times.
"The market will remain volatile until the end of the year,"
said Luc Van Hecka, chief economist at KBC Securities.
"Most of the major long-term investors have already closed
their books for the rest of the year. The market is really in the
hands of traders."
Investors awaited the Bank of England's (BOE) Monetary
Policy Committee decision, due at 1200 GMT. The central bank is
expected to leave its 200 billion pound ($326.7 billion) asset
purchase programme unchanged and keep interest rates at 0.5
percent. Most analysts reckon the BOE will not alter policy
until February.
Food producers were in demand. Kerry Group <KYGA.I>, Nestle
<NESN.VX>, Danisco <DCO.CO> and Danone <DANO.PA> rose 1.1 to 1.7
percent.
Miners fell as copper prices <MCU3> hit a two-week low on
rising stockpiles. BHP Billiton <BLT.L>, Anglo American <AAL.L>,
Antofagasta <ANTO.L>, Rio Tinto <RIO.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> fell
0.3 to 1.2 percent.
Zara owner Inditex <ITX.MC>, Europe's biggest clothing
retailer, rose 2.3 percent after posting a less-than-expected
1.42 percent fall in nine-month net profit of 831 million euros
($1.23 billion). []
Cadbury <CBRY.L> was up 0.1 percent. Hershey Co <HSY.N> and
the trust that controls it are close to deciding whether to bid
for rival candy maker Cadbury, The Wall Street Journal said late
on Wednesday, citing sources close to the matter.[]
Nokia <NOK1V.HE> rose 0.8 percent. The company said it would
close its two flagship stores in the United States, a market
where the world's top cellphone maker is struggling to gain
ground. []
Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 index <>, Germany's
DAX <> and France's CAC 40 <> all rose 0.2 percent.
(Editing by Karen Foster)
