European shares rose to their highest level in more than five years before a publication of Federal Open Market Committee minutes later this week.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index increased 0.5 percent to 324.70 at 4:37 p.m. in London. The benchmark gauge rose for six straight weeks as signs emerged the Federal Reserve won’t rush to reduce the pace of its stimulus, outweighing data that showed the euro-area economic recovery is faltering.

The FOMC will release minutes from its Oct. 29-30 meeting on Nov. 20. The minutes will probably reveal more details on the debate behind the decision to press on with the record $85 billion in monthly bond purchases. Economists estimate that policy makers will wait until a March 18-19 meeting to begin tapering monthly buying to $70 billion.

In Europe, a report on Nov. 21 may show that a composite index of euro-area services and manufacturing rose to 52 this month from 51.9 in October.

National benchmark indexes advanced in 15 of the 18 western-European markets today.

FTSE 100 6,722.71 +29.27 +0.44% CAC 40 4,322.75 +30.52 +0.71% DAX 9,234.98 +66.29 +0.72%

Aberdeen gained 15 percent to 489.7 pence. Lloyds, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, agreed to sell its Scottish Widows Investment division to Aberdeen for 560 million pounds ($903 million). The lender will receive a 9.9 percent stake in Scotland’s largest money manager, the companies said in a statement today. Aberdeen may pay a further 100 million pounds in cash over five years depending on the performance of partnership under which the fund manager will manage assets on behalf of the bank. Lloyds climbed 0.9 percent to 76 pence.

Sonova (SOON) advanced 5.4 percent to 124.70 Swiss francs after predicting that annual earnings before interest, taxes and amortization would grow as much as 14 percent, compared with a previous forecast of 9 percent to 13 percent. Sales will increase 8 percent to 10 percent, up from an earlier projection of 6 percent to 8 percent.

Medica SA (MDCA) jumped 4.8 percent to 21 euros. Korian agreed to buy Medica for 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in a deal that will create the largest French operator of nursing homes. Medica holders will receive Korian (KORI) stock valued at about 23.01 euros a share, the companies said in a statement today. That’s 15 percent above Medica’s closing price on Nov. 15. Korian declined 2.8 percent to 24.61 euros.

RWE AG (RWE) jumped 5.9 percent to 27.78 euros after Exane BNP Paribas raised Germany’s second-biggest utility to outperform from neutral, meaning investors should buy the stock, saying power prices in Germany have troughed and the group should benefit from a favorable outcome to German nuclear litigation.

Petrofac sank 17 percent to 1,200 pence, the biggest drop in the Stoxx 600, after the company predicted its profit growth will be “flat to modest” in 2014.

U.S. stock-index futures advanced, as global equities rallied after China pledged to expand economic freedoms.

Global markets:

Nikkei 15,164.3 -1.62 -0.01%

Hang Seng 23,660.06 +627.91 +2.73%

Shanghai Composite 2,197.22 +61.39 +2.87%

FTSE 6,730.04 +36.60 +0.55%

CAC 4,331.69 +39.46 +0.92%

DAX 9,247.05 +78.36 +0.85%

Crude oil $93.80 (-0.04%).

Gold $1280.30 (-0.55%).

European shares rose, following the longest streak of weekly gains in 15 months, as investors awaited a Nov. 20 publication of Federal Open Market Committee minutes. U.S. stock-index futures were little changed, and Asian shares advanced.

The FOMC releases minutes from its Oct. 29-30 meeting on Nov. 20. The minutes will probably reveal more details on the debate behind the decision to press on with $85 billion in monthly bond purchases. Economists in a Bloomberg survey estimate that policy makers will wait until a March 18-19 meeting to begin tapering monthly buying to $70 billion.

In Europe, a report on Nov. 21 may show that a composite index of euro-area services and manufacturing rose to 52 this month, from 51.9 in October.

Aberdeen Asset Management Plc jumped 13 percent after Lloyds Banking Group Plc agreed to sell its Scottish Widows Investment Partnership division to the money manager.

Sonova Holding AG advanced 7 percent as the world’s largest hearing-aid maker raised its full-year forecast and said first-half revenue beat analyst estimates.

Petrofac Ltd. plunged 15 percent, the most in almost five years.

FTSE 100 6,718.36 +24.92 +0.37 %

CAC 40 4,310.1 +17.87 +0.42 %

DAX 9,221.21 +52.52 +0.57 %

Asian stocks rose for a third day, with the benchmark index extending a two-week high, after China vowed to carry out the broadest expansion of economic freedoms since at least the 1990s.

Nikkei 225 15,164.3 -1.62 -0.01%

S&P/ASX 200 5,384.66 -17.01 -0.31%

Shanghai Composite 2,197.22 +61.39 +2.87%

China Mengniu Dairy Co., a maker of milk products, jumped 5.1 percent after policy makers pledged to relax the nation’s one-child policy.

Citic Securities Co. surged 13 percent in Hong Kong, leading gains among Chinese brokerages as the government flagged policy changes that portend the end of a ban on mainland initial public offerings.

Dwango Co. soared 17 percent in Tokyo after jumping by the daily limit on Nov. 15, when the provider of content through mobile phones said Nintendo Co. bought a stake in the company.