LONDON - Britain's top share index closed 0.4 percent lower, pressured by miners and banks after data revived concerns about monetary tightening in China, while buyers came in for general retailers. The FTSE 100 closed at 5,617.26 points, down 23.31 or 0.41 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares slipped from a seven-week high to end lower as economic numbers failed to impress investors and a spike in Chinese inflation raised the prospects of interest rate hikes in the country.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares finished 0.3 percent lower at 1,056 points after hitting a seven-week high of 1,060.64 earlier in the session. The index climbed 26 percent in 2009 and has surged 63 percent since hitting a record low in early March last year.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,928.63 points, down 8.09 or 0.14 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,928.95 points, down 14.6 or 0.37 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,851.73 points, down 21.86 or 0.32 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,040.52 points, down 88.3 or 0.38 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.96 percent to a seven-week high, with exporters such as Sony Corp. climbing after the yen dipped and US wholesale inventories fell unexpectedly in January. The Nikkei gained 101.03 points to 10,664.95, finishing at both a seven-week intraday and closing level high.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Stocks ended marginally firmer as worries over monetary tightening weighed after the latest economic data from China showed a pick-up in inflation. The Hang Seng Index was up 0.09 percent or 19.91 points, at 21,228.2, ending a fifth consecutive session in positive territory.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks slipped, knocked by top miner BHP Billiton after a spike in China's inflation stoked fears its government would move soon to further curb bank lending, which might cut metals demand. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gave up 0.12 percent or 5.8 points to close at 4,814.2, after having touched a high of 4,840.1.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - The South African rand dipped to near-one-week lows against the dollar as importer demand ticked up in fairly quiet trade while stocks fell in line with global equities, also taking a breather from a recent strong run. The All-share index closed at 27,911.43 points, down 176.24 or 0.63 percent.