European shares traded in sight of recent multi-month highs, with FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 flat at 1,167.51 points by 0913 GMT .EU while Asian markets closed higher, supported by solid Chinese data .T.

China's export growth rebounded surprisingly sharply in December to a seven-month high, in a strong finish to the year for an economy that had slowed for seven quarters, but the spike may not herald an enduring recovery as global demand stays subdued.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, rebounding from two days of losses, as investors turned their focus to the first prominent results of the earnings season. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 61.66 points, or 0.46 percent, to 13,390.51. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX rose 3.87 points, or 0.27 percent, to 1,461.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gained 14.00 points, or 0.45 percent, to 3,105.81.

The nascent earnings season pauses, with no S&P 500 companies scheduled to report on Thursday.

Casual dining chain Ruby Tuesday Inc (RT.N) lowered the upper end of its full-year adjusted profit forecast after posting a wider-than-expected second-quarter loss. Shares fell after the bell.

U.S. asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N) is to buy Swiss bank Credit Suisse's (CSGN.VX) exchange-traded fund business for an undisclosed price.

A relatively thin U.S. data calendar features December trade data at 1330 GMT and budget figures at 1900 GMT.

Both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank are expected to announce on-hold policy ahead of U.S. market open, with the focus for the latter on the 1330 GMT press conference.

(Reporting By Toni Vorobyova; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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