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Sept 3 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Thursday amid
signs of a global economic recovery and hopes of more stimulus
measures, with eyes on local service-sector data that is likely
to show sustained growth.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.8% in early
trade, tracking a strong session in Asia after a survey showed
activity in China's service sector grew for a fourth straight
month in August. Data from the euro zone is expected to show service-sector
growth for a second straight month. But activity in Spain and
Italy is expected to have contracted in August, as increased
COVID-19 cases forced them to introduce new curbs.
In corporate news, Germany's Siemens Healthineers SHLG.DE
fell 5% after it issued 2.73 billion euros ($3.22 billion) worth
of new shares to help finance its planned takeover of U.S. peer
Varian VAR.N . French drugmaker Sanofi SASY.PA and its British peer GSK
GSK.L rose as they started a clinical trial for a
protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate.