(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click or type LIVE/ in a news window)
* DHL Group's 2024 forecast falls short of market view
* Investors cheer AIB's 1.7 bln euro shareholder returns
* Symrise expects core profit margin boost in 2024, shares jump
* Euro zone January retail sales data due at 1000 GMT
(Updated at 0923 GMT)
March 6 - European shares rose on Wednesday supported by strong corporate earnings, while investors were cautious ahead of key euro-zone economic data and U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony before Congress.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.3% by 0923 GMT.
Basic resources shares gained 1.0% tracking gold prices, which climbed a record peak on Tuesday, buoyed by rising bets for U.S. interest rate cut by June. Sharing the rate-cut optimism, real estate stocks jumped 1.4% to lead gains among sectors.
"Now that we've had a rate-cut expectation reset and we are three months closer to the first interest rate cuts, interest rates sensitives are getting a new look, and a dramatic rally," said Ben Laidler, global markets strategist at eToro.
Investors look forward to euro-zone January retail sales data due at 1000 GMT and Powell's testimony before Congress later in the day, which remains crucial for new insights into the rate cut trajectory.
Earlier in the day, data showed German exports rose more than expected at the start of 2024 on rising demand from European Union's countries and China.
In the build up to the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision, the recent resilience in economic data has already prepared the markets for a hold on interest rate in Thursday's meeting.
Traders have placed their maximum bets on ECB's June 6 meeting for the beginning of the monetary easing cycle.
"We're through the fourth quarter earnings season surprises on both sides of the Atlantic, and now we're getting a little bit of a refocus back on the other pillar of this bull market, which is the outlook for interest rate cuts," said Laidler.
Symrise surged 4.6% after the German flavour and fragrance maker beat core profit estimates for 2023, helped by a cost management programme. The broader chemicals index added 1.2%.
AIB Group gained 3.9% after the Irish bank announced a more than four-fold increase in returns to shareholders, as higher interest rates helped it more than double its full-year after-tax profit. The banks index rose 0.4%.
DHL Group, however, dropped 4.9%, after the German logistics giant forecast its 2024 operating profit above pre-pandemic figures, but the outlook fell short of market consensus amid weaker global trade.
Swedish eyewear company Synsam tumbled 10.9% after a discounted block trade. (Reporting by Khushi Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Rashmi Aich)
