LONDON — Britain's top share index closed up 0.3 percent after hitting a near seven-year high, as investors picked up financial stocks boosted by the takeover battle for Dutch bank ABN AMRO. The FTSE 100 closed at 6,716.7 points, up 19 or 0.28 percent, up 26.6 points from a week ago.ROUNDUP:EUROFIRSTEUROPE — European shares closed up for the second straight day, with banks among the main gainers after a Dutch court removed much of the legal uncertainty around a bidding battle for ABN AMRO, which rose 1.5 percent. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares closed 0.4 percent stronger at 1,627.3, its highest close since November 2000. ROUNDUP:EUROPEAN MARKETSFRANKFURT — The DAX index ended at 8,092.77 points, up 39.34 or 0.49 percent, 44.45 points higher on the week.

PARIS — The CAC-40 index closed at 6,117.96 points, up 14.91 or 0.24 percent, a rise of 15.27 points since July 6.

ZURICH — The Swiss market index closed at 9,261.74 points, up 13.23 or 0.14 percent, down 2.23 points since last Friday.

MILAN — The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33,248 points, up 82 or 0.25 percent, adding 60 points over the week.ROUNDUP:NIKKEITOKYO — Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.42 percent, led by Shin-Etsu Chemical which jumped after a brokerage lifted its target price, while chip makers gained following an earnings announcement by Samsung Electronics that indicated a brighter second half. The Nikkei closed up 254.81 points at 18,238.95, rising 98.01 points on the week.ROUNDUP:HANG SENGHONG KONG — Hong Kong stocks paced Wall Street to notch a record, its eighth in the past nine sessions, as ample funds chased benchmark China Mobile, sending it to its second straight high. The Hang Seng Index shot past the key 23,000 resistance, ending the day up 290.27 points at 23,099.29 for a 567.55 point or 2.5 percent weekly gain.ROUNDUP:ASXSYDNEY — Australian shares rose 0.4 percent, after racing to an all-time high earlier in session, as mining stocks rallied after Rio Tinto's $38.1 billion bid for Alcan sparked hopes for more deals in the sector. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 26.0 points to 6,389.4, after scaling a lifetime high of 6,436.7 during the session. The index gained 38.3 during the week.ROUNDUP:SOUTH AFRICAJOHANNESBURG — South African shares pushed to a second straight record high lifted by financial and gold shares, but profit-taking kept the All-share index from breaking through a key level. The All-share index closed at 29,961.73 points, up 170.46 or 0.57 percent, up 74.34 points on the week.