LONDON - Britain's leading share index added 0.7 percent, buoyed by strength in commodity issues, supported by trade data from China, and in banks and insurers as Wall Street put in an early advance. The FTSE 100 closed at 5,640.57 points, up 38.27 or 0.68 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares closed at a seven-week high as equities shook off two straight sessions of losses, with banks rallying and oil majors supported by firmer crude prices.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 0.6 percent at 1,058.81 points, its highest closing level since January 19. The index, which has gained 57 percent since reaching a lifetime low in March last year, is up 1.2 percent so far this year.

Banks were higher, with HSBC, Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, UBS and Deutsche Bank up 0.4 to 2.7 percent. Greek banks were up almost four percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,936.72 points, up 50.83 or 0.86 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,943.55 points, up 33.54 or 0.86 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,873.59 points, up 5.27 or 0.08 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,128.82 points, up 277.88 or 1.22 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average was flat, with gains in machine stocks after better-than-expected machinery orders helping to offset a drop for recall-hit Toyota Motor Corp after an incident involving a Prius in the US. The benchmark Nikkei dipped 0.04 percent or 3.73 points to 10,563.92.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares ended flat, barely in positive territory after three straight sessions of gains and as investors took a breather after recent strength. Mainland stocks slipped on worries over possible monetary tightening. The Hang Seng Index ended up 0.74 points at 21,208.29.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks ended dead flat, on the one-year anniversary of the bear market's nadir, after disappointing housing finance data wiped out early gains. The S&P/ASX 200 index finished down 0.1 point to 4,820.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand was a touch softer against the greenback, weighed down by slightly heightened demand for cheaper dollars, while stocks edged higher, boosted by stronger metal prices. The All-share index closed at 28,087.67 points, up 189.53 or 0.68 percent.