European shares inched higher on Thursday on hopes fresh coronavirus-related curbs and restrictions may not be needed going into the new year, even as a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant kept a lid on gains. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2 percent, after edging 0.1 percent lower on Wednesday, with the tech sector and defensives, including healthcare and real estate, in the lead. Spain’s IBEX was flat after flash data showed consumer prices in December rose 6.7 percent across the country from the same month last year, the fastest annual pace of inflation since 1989. The index has underperformed its regional peers in 2021, gaining a slim 7 percent, compared with the STOXX 600’s 22 percent rise. Meanwhile, France’s CAC 40 has eclipsed the benchmark’s gains in 2021, as hopes of an economic recovery saw luxury stocks shine, even though outlook for demand from Asia remains …