* FTSEurofirst 300 index closes up 0.1 percent
* Technology stocks gain
* Banks fall
By Joanne Frearson
LONDON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - European shares closed slightly higher on Thursday in a choppy session, rising for the fifth consecutive day, with gains in technology stocks overshadowing losses in the banking sector.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares edged up 0.48 points or 0.1 percent to 988.33 points, having traded within a 14 point range reaching 993.85 at best.
The index, which fell 45 percent in 2008, is up nearly 19 percent this year -- 53 percent above a record low in March.
But, it is still down almost 15 percent from its level just before the collapse of Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers a year ago that accelerated the global credit crisis.
"I don't think there is an awful lot out there driving it. It's just volatile trading in a general positive uptrend," said Peter Dixon, an economist at Commerzbank.
Technology shares were among the major gainers. ASML, the world's top maker of semiconductor lithography was up 2.2 percent after it increased its sales outlook, thanks to improving operations in some chip markets.
Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, Infineon and ARM Holdings gained 0.5 to 3 percent.
Software stocks were higher, with SAP up 2.7 percent after Bill McDermott, president of SAP's global field operations, said the company would stay vigilant on costs and added that SAP can achieve a higher market share and higher profitability at the same time.
Autonomy and Cap Gemini were up 1.6 to 2.6 percent.
BANKS FALL
Bank stocks took most points off the index. Banco Santander , BNP Paribas, HSBC and Societe Generale were down 1 to 2.3 percent.
General retailers were lower. Home Retail fell 6.7 percent as investors took profits after Britain's biggest household goods retailer reported better-than-expected second-quarter sales at both its Argos and Homebase businesses.
"Home Retail and retailers in general have had a very good run over the last few weeks and I think investors are finding any excuse possible to take profits at the moment. That's what appears to be happening with Home Retail," a trader at KBC Peel Hunt says.
Energy stocks fell as crude lost 0.5 percent. BP, Repsol and Tullow Oil was down 0.5 to 1.2 percent.
Mining stocks retreated as metal prices slipped. Copper was down 1.8 percent, aluminium fell 1.8 percent and nickel lost 3.5 percent.
Anglo American, Antofagasta, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation and Xstrata were down 0.3 to 3.2 percent.
The Bank of England left interest rates at a record low of 0.5 percent for the sixth month running on Thursday and said it would keep its 175 billion pound asset buying programme in place. Across Europe, the FTSE 100 index was down 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX was up 0.4 percent and France's CAC 40 was down 0.01 percent. (Reporting by Joanne Frearson; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)