LIVE MARKETS-MiFID II: I'm doing a middle office job today, trader says

* European stocks rise * Next drives retail sector up after strong Christmas update * Tech stocks, industrials make gains * 2017 sees record number of deals worldwide * MiFID II reforms, U.S. Fed FOMC minutes in focus Jan 3 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Kit Rees. Reach her on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: kit.rees.thomsonreuters.com@reu