* European shares gain 1.2%, on track for first gain this
week
* PMI data in Germany, UK, euro zone gives hope
* Euro falls to seven-week low
* Too early to declare China virus a global emergency -WHO
* Safe haven Japanese yen, gold sold
(Releads, add PMI data, updates prices)
By Tom Wilson
LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - European shares on Friday were
set to post their first daily gain this week on signs of a
recovery ahead for growth, with easing worries over the
coronavirus outbreak in China also emboldening investors.
In some of the first glimpses of the health of the region's
economy this year, a Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) survey
showed Germany's private sector gaining momentum, with growth in
services up and a pullback in manufacturing easing. PMI figures from Britain, meanwhile, showed the vast
services sector returning to growth in January for the first
time since August and a downturn in manufacturing slowing.
And while euro zone-wide PMI showed business activity
remaining weak there were some signs that the worst may be over.
The broadly positive data helped the Euro STOXX 600 .STOXX
extend an early advance, climbing 1.2% and heading towards its
first day of gains this week.
Indexes in Frankfurt .GDAXI and Paris .FCHI gained 1.4%
and 1.2% respectively, while London .FTSE advanced 1.6%.
Among individual shares, Bayer BAYGn.DE gained 2.3%,
after a report on a possible out-of-court settlement at a U.S.
jury trial over allegations that its weed-killer Roundup causes
cancer. Wall Street futures ESCcv1 also pointed to slim gains.
"Sentiment among manufacturers is improving rapidly, meaning
that expectations for a 2020 recovery are increasing," ING
economist Bert Colijn said of the euro zone.
"We are expecting growth to very gradually pick up over the
course of the year."
CORONAVIRUS: NOT YET A GLOBAL EMERGENCY?
The data boosted a positive vibe in markets, where fears
over the outbreak of a deadly coronavirus in China abated
slightly after the World Health Organization designated it an
emergency for China, but not yet for the rest of the world.
The virus has killed 26 people and infected more than 800.
Chinese health authorities fear the infection rate could
accelerate as hundreds of millions of people travel over the
week-long Lunar New Year holiday, which began on Friday.
MSCI's world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks
shares in 49 countries, gained 0.2%, with resilience among
markets in Asia helping.
There, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside
Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.1% amid slow trade for the Chinese
holiday. Financial markets in mainland China, Taiwan and South
Korea were closed.
"Markets are waiting to see whether or not (the coronavirus)
has a material impact on growth, and that's hard to judge at the
moment," said Neil Wilson, chief analyst at Market.com.
Markets have reacted more calmly to the outbreak than was
the case during the SARS epidemic in 2003, Wilson said, possibly
because of greater information about its spread.
SAFE HAVENS FALL
As investors made bets on riskier assets, safe havens such
as the Japanese yen JPY= and gold XAU= stepped back.
The yen fell a sliver to 109.60 yen against the dollar, off
two-week highs of 109.26 touched on Thursday. Gold fell 0.3%.
Still, underscoring the grave economic risks posed by any
deepening of the crisis, the National Australia Bank estimated
China's GDP growth for the first quarter could be hit by around
1 percentage point by the virus outbreak.
The Lunar New Year is a time of heavy consumption on travel,
gifts and entertainment.
"The impact on Chinese growth could be significant given the
outbreak coincides with the Chinese New Year," said Tapas
Strickland, NAB's director of economics in Sydney.
In currency markets, the euro EUR= tumbled to a seven-week
low against the dollar as the PMI data added to a broader market
conviction that European Central Bank policymakers will maintain
a loose monetary policy for the near future.
The single currency was last at $1.1033.
The European Central Bank had on Thursday left its policy
rates unchanged, though President Christine Lagarde struck a
slightly more dovish tone than some had expected.
The British pound retreated, after initially strengthening,
as some investors still expected an interest rate cut next week
even though business surveys pointed to a post-election bounce
in the UK economy.
Sterling rose as much as 0.3% to $1.3180 GBP=D3 before
erasing those gains. It was last down 0.3% at $1.3125.
Against a basket of six major currencies, the dollar .DXY
was flat, trading off two-week lows hit on Thursday.
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WHO says 'bit too early' to declare coronavirus a global
emergency is an emergency in China' says WHO, as virus death toll
rises to 18 Lagarde launches policy overhaul that will leave no stone
unturned bond yields plummet on cautious Lagarde tone, virus fears
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