* Euro bounces higher in volatile session
* U.S. stocks rise, holding above key technical level
* French banks agree to roll over Greek holdings (Updates prices, adds U.S. market open, changes byline, dateline from previous LONDON)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks buoyed global equities and the euro bounced back against the dollar ahead of a Greek vote this week on an unpopular austerity plan that is pivotal for the country to receive more bailout funds.
U.S. stocks rose in early trading and managed to hold above a key technical level, while an index of volatility <.VIX> barely budged.
Greek lawmakers will begin debating a 28 billion euro ($40 billion) package of measures to increase taxes and cut fiscal spending that is critical to winning a new round of international funding to keep the country afloat. For details see [ID:nLDE75P0BM].
French banks, among the most exposed to the Greek debt crisis, have reached an outline agreement to roll over holdings of maturing Greek bonds, part of a wider European plan to avoid sovereign default. French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed the breakthrough on Monday and German bankers voiced their interest in the "French model". [ID:nL6E7HR0GU]
"We're at an important juncture with Greece, but staying above the 200-day moving average (on the benchmark S&P 500 index) is more evidence that we're stabilizing, not deteriorating," said Christopher Verrone, lead technical analyst at Strategas Research Partners in New York.
Global stocks as measured by MSCI <.MIWD00000PUS> were up 0.2 percent for the day.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 56.19 points, or 0.47 percent, to 11,990.77. The Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> gained 4.76 points, or 0.38 percent, to 1,273.21. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> gained 12.25 points, or 0.46 percent, to 2,665.14.
The S&P 500 has recently tested but held its 200-day moving average, a widely followed level, in a signal its long-term upward move is still alive.
EURO RISES
The euro turned higher against the U.S. dollar in volatile trading in what traders attributed to sovereign demand any dips in the single currency.
The euro
Brent futures turned higher as the euro rose. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica, Nick Olivari and European bureaus; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)