European shares inched higher on Tuesday, with gains in oil and gas stocks offsetting caution elsewhere as Middle East tensions kept crude prices elevated. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.1% at 661.39 points as of 0717 GMT, while the energy sector jumped 1% after oil prices reached their highest level this month so far. Broader sentiment remained restrained by worries that prolonged disruption around the Strait of Hormuz (vital oil shipping route) could add to inflation pressures and complicate the case for monetary easing. Travel and leisure stocks fell 0.7% on concerns about higher fuel costs, while technology shares rose 0.4%. Investors are now looking to euro zone employment and GDP data, along with U.S. consumer price figures later this week, for fresh guidance on growth, inflation and the likely path of interest rates. Among individual stocks, Alcon gained 5.7% after the Swiss-American eye-care company lifted its full-year earnings forecast.