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Dec 19 Reuters European shares climbed on Tuesday as risk appetite got a boost after Japan39;s central bank stuck to its ultraloose monetary policy, while investors focused on the euro zone39;s inflation print to gauge the timing of rate cuts next year.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 climbed 0.3 by 0927 GMT, with investors remaining optimistic about rate cuts next year following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell39;s dovish shift last week.

Travel and leisure rose 0.9, leading sectoral gains, while automobiles and energy were the worst hit, down 0.4 each.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan maintained ultraloose policy settings in a widely expected move, awaiting more evidence on whether wages and prices would rise enough to justify a shift away from massive monetary stimulus.

Powell39;s pivot towards more dovish policy is still playing out, and now that39;s been reinforced by another dovish move by the Bank of Japan, said Patrick Armstrong, chief investment officer at Plurimi Wealth.

Investors now await the euro zone39;s final November inflation print later in the day, while keeping an eye out for the U.S. personal consumption expenditure data later this week for clues on the global monetary policy outlook.

Driven by rate cut optimism, the STOXX 600 is on track…