European banks' run of soaring profits and record shareholder payouts faces a big test this week when investors assess how fast the boost from higher interest rates is fading, and if a weak economic outlook will make life tougher. The STOXX Europe 600 banks index hit its highest since mid-2018 this month, propelled by a recovery in profitability thanks to higher rates, record shareholder payouts and little provisioning for bad loans. Retail-focused lenders which earn most of their money from the difference between loan income and deposit costs have benefited most from rising rates, but bigger, diversified banks such as Deutsche and BNP Paribas have also seen profits.