STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Brisk inflows from U.S. investors continue-Lipper

European equities enjoyed brisk inflows from U.S. investors in the first week of the year, Thomson Reuters Lipper data shows, boosted by mounting expectations of an economic turnaround in the euro zone.

The Lipper poll of 98 U.S.-based funds invested in European equities, which include exchange-traded funds' (ETFs) holdings, shows the funds poured in $463 million into European equities in the seven day period to Jan 8.

It was the biggest weekly inflows since late November, and a 28th straight week of net inflows - marking the longest streak of weekly inflows since Lipper started to monitor flows in 1992.

In 2013, European equities saw record net inflows of $16.3 billion from U.S. investors - nearly three times the previous record of $5.8 billion seen in 2006. The inflows strongly accelerated in the last quarter of the year, with investors pouring in $7.6 billion during the three-month period.

The brisk inflows have fuelled a sharp rally in European stocks and especially in peripheral euro zone markets, with Lisbon's PSI 20 up 8.1 percent already in 2014, Madrid's IBEX up 4 percent, Milan's FTSE MIB up 3.4 percent, Athens's ATG up 10.9 percent and Dublin's ISEQ up 4.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Britain's FTSE 100 is down 0.4 percent year-to-date, Germany's DAX down 0.9 percent and France's CAC 40 down 1.1 percent.

Reuters Messaging: blaise.robinson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net