European shares at record high on gains in financials, US spending plan

Bank stocks at 15-month high; travel and leisure stocks best weekly performers

European shares rose to a record high on Friday as UK-exposed financial stocks gained following a hawkish comment from a Bank of England official, with the prospects of increased U.S. fiscal spending boosting market sentiment.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.5 per cent to a record high of 448.55 points and was set to add about 0.8 per cent this week.

The Europe-only STOXX index and the European blue chip index added about 0.4 per cent each, trading just below multi-year highs.

Bank stocks rose 0.6% to a 15-month high, tracking a rise in eurozone bond yields. British lenders, including HSBC ,