LONDON - Britain's top share index closed slightly lower, snapping a five-day winning streak, as weakness from defensive stocks countered gains from banks ahead of more results from the financial sector later in the week. The FTSE 100 closed at 5,352.07 points, down 6.1 or 0.11 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European equities ended lower after advancing in the previous five sessions as weaker drugmakers and food producers put pressure on the market, but analysts said overall momentum remained positive.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.3 percent lower at 1,023.15 points after rising earlier in the session to a high of 1,028.54, the highest since February 3.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,688.44 points, down 33.61 or 0.59 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,756.7 points, down 12.84 or 0.34 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,687.41 points, down 22.27 or 0.33 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,199.67 points, down 60.05 or 0.27 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - The Nikkei average rose 2.74 percent to its highest close in three weeks, led by exporters such as Canon Inc. after investors on Wall Street took the Federal Reserve's discount rate hike as a sign the financial system is healing. In light trade, the benchmark Nikkei gained 276.89 points to 10,400.47, its highest finish since February 3 and the first break in a month above its 25-day moving average of around 10,300.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares bounced back from one-week lows after a relatively steady finish in Shanghai and gains on Wall Street boosted investor appetite for battered banking stocks. The Hang Seng Index ended up 2.43 percent or 483.25 points at 20,377.27, posting its biggest one-day percentage gain in more than two months.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks gained 1.78 percent to a one-month high, led by banks and resources stocks, as confidence in the global economic outlook was reinforced by solid results from major local companies. The S&P/ASX 200 index gained 82.4 points to 4,717.5. It had slipped 19.81 points on Friday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand weakened to a near two-week low against the dollar, while local equities, which hit a one month high, tracked global stocks up on improved sentiment over the US economy. The All-share index closed at 27,284.16 points, up 215.03 or 0.79 percent.