LONDON - Britain's top share
index hit its highest closing level in 10-and-a-half months, mirroring rallying global equities as reassuring comments from key central bankers helped drive optimism over the pace of global recovery. The FTSE 100 closed at 4,896.23 points, up 45.34 or 0.93 percent.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST
EUROPE - European shares hit their highest closing level in more than 10 months, boosted by banks and miners, with recent economic data and positive comments from some central banks prompting investors to grab risky assets.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended 0.9 percent up at 975.19 points, the highest closing level since early October. The index is up 17 percent this year and has surged 51 percent form a record low in March.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets
FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,519.75 points, up 57.01 or 1.04 percent.
PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,652.17 points, up 36.36 or 1.01 percent.
ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,194.39 points, up 54.59 or 0.89 percent.
MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,814.62 points, up 436.36 or 1.95 percent.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average jumped 3.4 percent in thin trade, boosted by hopes for a global economic recovery that sent US shares climbing, with Canon and other exporters leading the benchmark higher. The Nikkei gained 342.85 points to 10,581.05, erasing a 3.4 percent decline it posted last week.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng
HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares climbed 1.67 percent, tracking strength on mainland and overseas stocks markets, with refiners and Chinese finance stocks climbing after Sinopec and China Construction Bank reported strong earnings. The Hang Seng Index finished up 336.92 at 20,535.94, with HK$62.2 billion worth of shares changing hands.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx
SYDNEY - Australian stocks rallied 3.2 percent, their biggest one-day percentage gain in about six weeks, as companies with US exposure such as shopping mall owner Westfield Group jumped on signs of recovery in the world's biggest economy. The S&P/ASX 200 index jumped 135.5 points to 4,426.1 points, its biggest one-day percentage rise since July 14.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa
JOHANNESBURG - South African stocks advanced for a fifth straight day, climbing to their highest level in 11 months as improved risk appetite and higher global markets triggered a rally on the local bourse. The All-share index closed at 25,274.69 points, up 395.98 or 1.59 percent.
