European shares inch up in shortened session

European stocks inched up on Wednesday in a shortened session ahead of the Christmas break. Shares in British medical device maker Smith & Nephew Plc surged 7 per cent. Oil major BP Plc gained 1.1 per cent, outpacing oil and gas shares. At 0824 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was up 0.1 per cent at 1,376.16 points. FTSEurofirst 300 is up 4.6 per cent, lagging a 12.6 per cent rally for the S&P 500, according to Reuters.