European shares rise ahead of Fed rate decision

European shares rose on Wednesday as investors turn optimistic that U.S. Federal Reserve may signal a pause in its 14-month tightening cycle after raising interest rates for the last time later in the day. The pan-European STOXX 600 index inched up 0.2% by 0715 GMT, after a sharp selloff in the previous session.

European shares rose on Wednesday as investors turn optimistic that U.S. Federal Reserve may signal a pause in its 14-month tightening cycle after raising interest rates for the last time later in the day.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index inched up 0.2% by 0715 GMT, after a sharp selloff in the previous session. Oil and gas shares were the top gainers on the index, rising 0.6%, recovering some of its losses from Tuesday.

Automobile shares were in the red, falling 0.8%. Investors anticipate that the Fed will follow through with a quarter percentage point hike at the end of its latest two-day policy meeting. The statement is due to be released at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), with Chair Jerome Powell scheduled to speak to reporters half an hour later.

Data on Tuesday showed banks are sharply turning off the credit taps, making a case for a smaller hike by the European Central Bank on Thursday. Shares in Italy's UniCredit jumped 5% as the lender raised its financial targets for the year after it posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings

Signify, the world's biggest lighting maker, fell 7.0% on missing first-quarter core profit expectations.