LONDON - A flurry of US economic data and a rebound in metals prices helped push Britain's top share index to a higher close, with Compass Group topping the blue-chip gainers list after results. The FTSE 100 closed at 5,364.81 points, up 40.85 or 0.77 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European stocks closed higher, with pharmaceuticals among the best performers, after a raft of US macro-economic data ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday was mostly positive.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares rose 0.5 percent to close at 1,021.95 points, having moved as high as 1,026.85 and eased to 1,015.76.

Among drugmakers, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Roche and Sanofi-Aventis rose between 0.5 and 2.5 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,803.02 points, up 33.71 or 0.58 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,809.16 points, up 24.54 or 0.65 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,422.2 points, up 24.67 or 0.39 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,174.88 points, up 29.04 or 0.13 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average dipped in and out of negative territory but managed to end 0.4 percent higher as exporters were bought back after a crucial support line for the benchmark held. In moderate trade, the index gained 40.06 points to end at 9,441.64.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares in Hong Kong and China erased earlier losses to end higher, led by insurers and resource shares, as investors sought bargains after a steep sell-off in the previous session. The Hang Seng Index closed up 0.84 percent, or 188.66 points, at 22,611.8.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian stocks rose 0.8 percent, lifted by banks and miners in thin trade, but dealers see further big gains as unlikely until there is more convincing evidence of a solid global economic recovery. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 37.2 points to finish at 4,722.2.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand gained as much as 1.6 percent to a week's high against the dollar, as data pointing to better prospects for the US economy boosted risk appetite, undermining the greenback's "safe haven" appeal. The All-share index closed at 27,489.24 points, up 111.7 or 0.41 percent.

The All Gold index closed at 2,635.46 points, up 27.52 or 1.06 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,324.5 points, down 34.24 or 0.16 percent.