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FRANKFURT: European shares extended gains on Monday after US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned the US economy needs to grow more quickly, fueling hopes for more monetary easing.
"QE3 here I come?," a German trader asked rhetorically after Bernanke's remarks to a gathering of the National Association for Business Economics were published.
By 1214 GMT, the FTS Euro first 300 index was up 0.7 percent at 1,086.69 points, after hitting a session-high of 1,087.99.