European stocks advanced, after fluctuating between gains and losses, capping their biggest four-day rally in more than two years. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.4 percent to 340.3 at the close of trading, after earlier rising as much as 0.8 percent and falling 0.6 percent. The measure posted its fifth weekly advance in six. Energy stocks contributed the most to gains, while a drop in health-care companies was the biggest drag as Roche Holding AG (ROG) slid. European shares jumped the most since November 2011 yesterday, rebounding for a third day, after the Federal Reserve pledged to be patient in increasing interest rates and the Swiss National Bank introduced its first negative deposit rate since the 1970s. The Stoxx 600 has advanced 3 percent this week, recovering more than half of its December losses. “Low interest-rate policy addicted markets are being comforted and there is no other option for cash other than to participate by owning stocks it seems,” Daniel Weston, chief investment officer at Aimed Capital GmbH in Munich, wrote in an e-mail. Shares have been volatile today. Some futures and options on stocks and indexes expired in a process known as quadruple witching. That often increases volatility and trading volume. The number of Stoxx 600 shares changing hands was 40 percent greater than the average for the past 30 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. bloomberg