(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock

markets, click or type LIVE/ in a news window)

April 24 (Reuters) - European shares were little changed

in early trading on Wednesday as gains in technology stocks were

offset by declines in banks, with investors assessing the impact

tight monetary conditions have had on corporate performance.

The pan-continent STOXX 600 index edged up 0.1% by

0720 GMT, hovering around one-week highs, with the technology

sector gaining 2.4%.

Tech stocks got a boost after ASM International

raised its second-quarter revenue forecast, citing

stronger-than-expected Chinese demand and higher sales in

advanced logic and memory, sending the wafer processing

equipment supplier's shares up 12.2%.

Keeping a lid on gains, the euro zone banking sector

dropped 0.9%, bogged down by a 9.6% fall in Swedish lender

Handelsbanken after it reported first-quarter net

profit below market expectations due to rising expenses.

Also weighing on the STOXX, Swiss drugmaker Roche

lost 2.3% after its first-quarter sales slipped by 6%, while

Kering declined 9.3% after the luxury good maker said

it expects a 40% to 45% plunge in first-half operating profit.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H

K)