European shares were on course for a fifth day of gains on March 19, powered by a strong rally in automakers after Peugeot suggested Fiat Chrysler was among the options for a merger, and as Bank of America Merrill Lynch talked up stocks in the sector.
The STOXX 600 autos & suppliers sector index jumped 2.4 percent to post their biggest one-day gain in more than three months, helping the benchmark STOXX 600 climb 0.6 percent and scale a near six-month peak.
