European shares extend gains as banks rise

European shares extended gains in afternoon trade on Tuesday, led by the banking sector ahead of White House adviser Paul Volcker's congressional testimony.

By 1441 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was up 0.8 percent at 1,026.34 points, after hitting a day's high of 1,028.19.

In Europe, banks added the most points to the index. Banco Santander, Barclays, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank gained 2.7 to 3.2 percent.