LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - European shares hit a three-week high for a second straight day on Thursday, helped by miners, with growing expectations of more U.S. monetary easing and hopes of a robust earnings season boosting demand for riskier assets.
At 0708 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was up 0.4 percent at 1,090.41 points after hitting a three-week closing high in the previous session.
"Investor appetite will be helped by consensus-beating results, while the macro environment is being supported by the fact that the authorities appear ready to provide the required support to secure the economic recovery," said Henk Potts, equity strategist at Barclays Wealth.
"And that should be good news for heavyweight sectors, especially for miners."
Mining shares got strength from higher commodity prices as a weaker dollar made metals cheaper for the holders of other currencies. BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto , Xstrata and Eurasian Natural Resources rose 0.6 to 1.3 percent. (Reporting by Atul Prakash)