European stocks started trading higher today as investors looked ahead to a week of important economic data from the US and Europe. The STOXX Europe 600 index rose 0.4 percent. The oil and gas sector rose about 1 percent as oil prices rose for a fifth straight session. The financial sector index also rose about 1 percent, supported by Hannover Re, which jumped 6.2 percent after the German reinsurer unveiled first-half results. BT Group jumped 6.6 percent after India's Bharti Enterprises agreed to buy about 24.5 percent of Altice UK, the telecoms company's biggest shareholder. Source: Oman News Agency