1129 GMT - Investors continue to believe European equities will gain over the next one to three months, according to Bank of America's European fund manager survey for August. A net 53% expect European stocks to rise over the period, with 76% believing that companies upgrading their earnings outlooks will drive gains, they say. On average, money managers surveyed expect European earnings per share to rise by 7.5% over the next 12-months--the most bullish prognosis since February. European investors are increasingly confident that the continent's stocks will outperform U.S. equities, with 47% betting on outperformance over the next 12 months--up from under 40% in July.