, Reuters -European shares rose in early trading on Monday, lifted by bank stocks as investors geared up for a pivotal week of central bank meetings, including the U.S. Federal Reserve’s, while Rubis shot up after a report on the potential sale of the French company.

The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2% to 556.2 points, as of 0711 GMT, with rate-sensitive banks leading sectors with a 0.8% gain.

A report of bids for Rubis from CVC Capital Partners and Trafigura lifted the fuel retailer’s shares 6.7% to the top of the STOXX 600 index. The French company is valued at about $3.5 billion.

Meanwhile, ratings agency Fitch downgraded France’s sovereign credit rating as expected on Friday, complicating newly installed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s job as he begins talks to draft a budget.

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