LONDON - London's top share index closed 0.3 percent weaker, as declines among miners, weighed down by comments from the Chinese central bank's financial stability report, and oils offset retailers' gains. The FTSE 100 closed at 4,241.01 points, down 11.56 or 0.27 percent on the day, and losing 104.92 points over the week.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares closed lower, as drugmakers fell led by Sanofi-Aventis, while commodities retreated tracking lower crude and metal prices. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 0.13 percent at 844.59 points.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 4,776.47 points, down 24.09 or 0.5 percent, dropping 62.99 points since last Friday.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,129.73 points, down 33.37 or 1.05 percent, losing 91.54 points on the week.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,375.99 points, up 14.69 or 0.27 percent, shedding 45.6 points since last Friday.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 19561 points, down 77.91 or 0.40 percent, slipping 497.8 points on the week.

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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.8 percent, with tyremaker Bridgestone surging after it lifted its earnings outlook and Suzuki Motor jumping after a source said Volkswagen was interested in a tie-up.

The Nikkei rose 81.31 points to 9,877.39, having risen 0.9 percent or 91.13 points over the week.

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HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares advanced 1.8 percent, rising for a third straight day and partly spurred by buying ahead of the expiry of index futures on Monday, while Chinese bank stocks jumped on reports of strong lending in June. The Hang Seng Index finished up 325.23 points at 18,600.26, gaining 679.33 points or 3.8 percent on the week.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian shares rose 1.2 percent, boosted by banks, oil firms and news of a sharp rise in first-half earnings at oil refiner Caltex Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 rose 47.8 points to 3,903.8, leaving it nearly flat for the week, gaining just 4.2 points since Monday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand firmed to a near-month high against the dollar, benefitting from its carry trade appeal after the central bank left the key repo rate unchanged at 7.5 percent the previous day. Blue chips regrouped after the previous day's losses, boosted by stronger banking and mining stocks.

The All-Share Index ended 0.69 percent higher at 22,308.28 points, dipping 86.29 since last weekend.