European shares closed up for the fourth straight day on Wednesday, boosted by carmakers such as DaimlerChrysler on merger talk in the U.S. and as oil prices fell following a big rise in U.S. crude oil inventories, Reuters reported. Credit Suisse rose 2 percent and was among the top gainers as it beat first-quarter profit estimates, buoyed by strong earnings at its flagship private bank. The healthcare sector index extended gains to hit its highest level in nearly three years as investment funds, concerned about an economic slowdown, step up their exposure while moving away from growth sectors, traders said. The FTSEurofirst 300 pan-European index ended 0.6 percent higher at 1,075.0 points, the day's peak and a one-week high. Many European markets are closed on Thursday because of the Ascension Day bank holiday, which will hit volumes. Among the day's standout gainers, Anglo Irish Bank Corp Plc rallied 7 percent after it beat market forecasts with a 35 percent rise in first-half profits and said it was well placed to grow in its core Irish and UK markets. "The market share they have got is still really quite small. So there is still a decent opportunity for them to take market share, continue growing and developing the business," said Andrew Lynch, a fund manager at Schroders, which owns the stock. --More 2006 Local Time 1706 GMT
