* FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.6 percent, hits 4-1/2-month closing high
* Financials surge following Basel rules on bank capital
* Miners advance on encouraging Chinese factory data
By Brian Gorman
LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - European shares hit their highest close since April on Monday, as banks surged on relief that new capital rules were not more demanding, and miners rose with metals prices as Chinese data prompted optimism.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares rose 0.6 percent to 1,087.97 points, the highest close in more than four months.
New capital requirements, known as Basel III, will demand banks hold top-quality capital totalling 7 percent, against the present requirement of 2 percent, of their risk-bearing assets but a long lead-in time eased fears that lenders will have to rush to raise capital.
Banks to gain included Credit Agricole, Societe Generale and UniCredit, up between 2.9 and 5.8 percent.
Apart from the banks, "good numbers out of China, and M&A kicking off," were driving the market higher, said Andy Lynch, fund manager at Schroders. "There are a lot of good reasons out there."
The European benchmark is up more than 68 percent from the lifetime low of March, 2009. Lynch said quantitative easing had been a major factor in boosting shares. He said the ECB may need to put interest rates "but that will be a 2011 story rather than a 2010 story."
Analysts said the Basel III announcement was a relief, though some urged caution.
"I don't think the troubles are over because obviously if loan losses worsen again, then more banks could still find that they need to raise capital. But at least people now know what the requirements would be," said Felicity Smith, fund manager at Bedlam Asset Management.
On the downside, Germany's Deutsche Postbank slumped 7.8 percent after Deutsche Bank said on Sunday it would offer to buy the rest of Postbank for 24-25 euros a share, below Friday's closing price of 27.035 euros.
Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Josef Ackermann said it needs 7.7 billion euros ($9.9 billion) to absorb Deutsche Postbank, Germany's largest retail bank by clients.
MINERS GAIN
Copper prices rose on Monday, supported by stronger-than-expected Chinese industrial output and retail sales numbers, suggesting the world's second-largest economy was accelerating once more.
Miners to gain included Anglo American, Antofagasta, BHP Billiton, Kazakhmys, Vedanta and Xstrata, up between 2.5 and 5.2 percent.
The market also got some support from a forecast by the European Commission which said the euro zone economy is likely to grow almost twice as fast this year as previously thought, mainly because of much stronger growth in its biggest economy, Germany.
Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 ended the day 1.2 percent higher, Germany's DAX and France's CAC40 rose 0.8 and 1.1 percent respectively.
The Euro STOXX 50, the euro zone's blue-chip index, rose 0.9 percent to 2,805.06 points, just below the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of its fall to a May low from an April high.
Wall Street was higher around the time European bourses were closing. The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up between 0.8 and 1.7 percent. Banks, such as JP Morgan, were among the major gainers.
Among other individual European shares, Swiss Re, the world's second-largest reinsurer, rose 3.9 percent after saying it may return money to shareholders via buybacks or dividends after repaying a 3 billion Swiss franc ($2.96 billion) convertible loan from Hathaway.
Primark owner Associated British Foods fell 1.5 percent as it warned sales growth over the summer slowed at its fashion discount retailer and margins will fall next year due to higher cotton costs and taxes. (Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)