LONDON - Britain's top share index rose for the third consecutive day, led by financials and miners on bullish corporate results and economic data, and adding to growing optimism over the health of the global economy. The FTSE 100 ended up 32.58 points, or 0.62 percent at 5,276.64, touching a two-week high during the session after it added 1.5 percent on Tuesday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares hit a two-week closing high, boosted by financials after BNP Paribas' fourth-quarter profits beat forecasts and operational results from ING pleased investors. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 1.3 percent at 1,015.1 points.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,648.34 points, up 56.22 or 1.01 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,725.21 points, up 56.17 or 1.53 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,567.6 points, up 69.94 or 1.08 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,139.49 points, up 340.71 or 1.56 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average surged 2.72 percent, chalking up its biggest daily rise in over two months, as investors snapped up Mitsubishi and other resource-related stocks after a jump in commodities prices. The Nikkei rose 272.58 points to 10,306.83 and logged its biggest one-day percentage gain since December 3.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares hit a two-week closing high, lifted by buoyant oil and mining stocks as a rally on Wall Street offset Beijing's decision to raise bank reserve requirements for the second time this year. The Hang Seng Index ended up 1.31 percent or 265.32 points at 20,534.01.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks rallied 2.19 percent, the biggest one-day gain in two-and-a-half months, led by a surge in banking stocks as investors digested recent strong profit figures, and a jump in resources stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 100.1 points to 4,667.8.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - The rand rose and short-dated government bonds gained after the government in its budget announced a smaller-than-expected budget deficit and raised its economic growth forecast for 2010. The All-share index closed at 27,192.58 points, up 252.78 or 0.94 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,310.89 points, down 22.61 or 0.97 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,164.43 points, up 134.09 or 0.64 percent.