LONDON - Britain's top share index fell, led down by banks, but finished well off session lows on fresh hopes for economic recovery after strong US pending home sales data. The FTSE 100 closed 11.98 points or 0.23 percent lower at 5,151.32, having dropped as low as 5,072.53.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares edged higher, as upbeat US housing data boosted hopes of a recovery in the world's largest economy, offsetting falls in banks on concerns over the outlook for growth in the euro zone. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.1 percent at 1,003.58 points.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROpean markets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,981.2 points, down 0.07 points.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,501.5 points, down 1.58 or 0.05 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,368.81 points, up 52.21 or 0.83 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 19,817.94 points, down 88.81 or 0.45 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average fell 1.12 percent, surrendering earlier gains to drop back into negative territory as the yen's retreat against currencies such as the euro and dollar in the wake of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's resignation slowed. The Nikkei fell 108.59 points to 9,603.24 after rising as high as 9,763.41.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Stocks ended slightly lower as choppy trading prevailed in muted volume, with a lack of clear catalysts for a convincing move in either direction. The Hang Seng Index ended down 0.13 percent or 25.15 points at 19,471.80.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Shares slipped for a third day, surrendering 0.73 percent as the latest company profit warning raised fears about the upcoming reporting season, while lower Asian stocks also weighed on sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 32.1 points to 4,381.0, after slipping 0.4 percent on Monday and sliding 7.9 percent in May.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - The rand firmed against the dollar, supported by domestic vehicle sales data that pointed to an improvement in consumer demand, while stocks edged lower. The All-share index closed at 27,248.11 points, down 60.95 or 0.22 percent.