European shares edge higher as traders await ECB decision

Sept 10 (Reuters) - European ‌shares rose ​on ​Thursday after their biggest selloff in two months as investors awaited a widely forecast ‌interest rate hike from the European Central ⁠Bank and comments from chief Christine Lagarde on oil prices and ‌their impact on inflation.

The ‌pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.1% at 641.23 points, as of 0708 GMT. Germany's DAX was ​flat, London's FTSE edged 0.1% higher and France's CAC 40 gained 0.3%.

In the previous session, European stocks ⁠tumbled 1.4% after Brent crude surged above $100 a barrel for the ​first time since July, stoking inflation concerns and reinforcing expectations that central banks may ​need to keep monetary policy ‌restrictive for longer.

Brent remained above the $100-a-barrel mark on Thursday after Iran and the ⁠United States launched their largest wave of attacks on shipping since the six-month-old conflict began. [O/R]

The ECB is expected ⁠to deliver a 25-basis-point hike later in the day, kicking ​off a busy period for central banks. The U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan are both due ‌to announce policy decisions next week.

Among individual stocks, Associated British Foods said Primark's like-for-like ‌sales are expected to be down 3% in ⁠its fourth-quarter period ended ‌September 12. Shares ​of AB Foods were down 8.6%.

(Reporting by Sudeshna Ghoshal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry ‌Jacob-Phillips)

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