The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index edged higher on Friday and headed for its best monthly performance in three years, with positive German retail sales data improving sentiment and helping the benchmark DAX index, Reuters reported. The FTSEurofirst 300 was up 0.1 percent at 1,473.99 points by 0850 GMT. The index has gained 7.7 percent in January, its best month in percentage terms since late 2011, on expectations of a bond-buying programme by the European Central Bank, which was finally announced earlier this month. Germany's DAX, up 0.3 percent, outperformed the pan-European index after data showing German retail sales increased for a fifth consecutive year in 2014, rising by 1.4 percent in real terms, reflecting the buoyant mood among consumers in Europe's largest economy. Greece's ATG index rose 1.8 percent on Friday after sharp falls in recent days, with Bank of Piraeus jumping 12 percent
