LONDON - Britain's top shares climbed higher for the sixth consecutive session, led by banks and commodities as hopes for a strong earnings season in the US spurred sentiment.

The FTSE 100 closed 104 points, or two percent higher at 5,271.02, hitting its highest close in over two-weeks, having rallied over 9.5 percent since the index hit its 2010 low on July 1.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European stocks ended firmer for a sixth straight session and touched a three-week closing high as impressive results from some major US companies raised optimism that the second-quarter earnings will be strong.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended 1.9 percent firmer at 1,045.47 points, the highest close since June 22.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,191.13 points, up 113.94 or 1.87 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,637.76 points, up 70.1 or 1.96 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,298.59 points, up 70.28 or 1.13 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 21,351.67 points, up 329.78 or 1.57 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei edged lower, weighed as Shanghai shares fell after China said it had no plans to relax tougher property measures anytime soon, but falls were checked by hopes for US earnings later in the day.

The Nikkei erased morning gains to edge down 0.1 percent to 9,537.23, while the broader Topix shed 0.4 percent to 854.39.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Hong Kong stocks finished lower, slightly, weighed down by Shanghai's share market, which dropped on news China would continue to rein in speculation in the country's red-hot property sector.

The Hang Seng index fell 0.18 percent to 20,431.06.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian stocks finished 0.7 percent lower, led down by miners, after modest early gains were eroded by a slide in US stock index futures as caution reigned over prospects for the US earnings season.

The S&P/ASX 200 index see-sawed either side of unchanged through the morning, but ended down 29.6 points to 4,380.3.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South African stocks rose more than one percent, booking their highest close in 14 sessions as a better-than-expected start to the US earnings season helped ease concerns about the global economy.

The All-Share index ended up 1.12 percent at 27,495.94, the highest in over two weeks.