European shares eke out gains as Sodexo, banks jump

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares were flat to slightly higher on Thursday, paring gains as a rally following the U.S. midterm elections sputtered while strong results from SocGen and Commerzbank and France's Sodexho soothed concerns about corporate earnings.The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.3 percent at 1017 GMT, extending the previous session's gains. In early dealings, it had hit its highest since Oct. 10.The leading index of euro zone stocks was flat, with Germany's DAX down 0.1..