the world's largest heating oil market -- ahead of a key inventory report at 1530 GMT. The FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.18 percent to 1,041.09 points, just 1 points short of the peak hit on Tuesday, led by a 0.43 percent gain on the FTSE 100. Trading on Euronext exchanges were delayed due to a technical glitch. Share gains were led by retailers Inditex and Hennes & Mauritz after they reported sparkling figures. H&M rose 3.2 percent after reporting sales rose 24 percent in November, beating expectations that were already high due to a special sale last month of Karl Lagerfeld clothes. U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday on the back of the Fed's rosy economic picture with technology shares leading the move up. Tokyo's Nikkei average rose 0.37 percent buoyed by the upbeat Fed report and the "tankan" survey forecast of an increase to capital spending. Spot gold prices edged up to around $438 a troy ounce. --SP 1815 Local Time 1515 GMT
