LONDON - Britain's top share index hit an 18-month closing high, led by oil stocks and miners, while drugmakers fell with AstraZeneca pressured after its cancer drug failed in trials. The FTSE 100 ended up 6.96 points, or 0.12 percent, at 5,606.72, its highest close since September 2, 2008 - before the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares slipped, snapping six days of gains, with chemicals weaker and drugmakers down after AstraZeneca's cancer drug failed in trials, offsetting gains in oils and telecommunication firms. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed 0.1 percent lower at 1,053.44 points. The index hit six-week highs on Friday after data showed a smaller than expected drop in US jobs last month.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,875.91 points, down 1.45 or 0.02 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,903.54 points, down 6.88 or 0.18 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,851.2 points, up 3.42 or 0.05 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,884.88 points, up 115.18 or 0.51 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average rose 2.09 percent to a six-week closing high, with exporters up on a weaker yen and resource shares lifted by rises in commodity prices, building on sentiment from better than expected US jobs data. The benchmark Nikkei rose 216.96 points to 10,585.92 its highest close since January 22.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares rose 1.97 percent for a second straight session of gains, led by China Construction Bank after China's second-largest lender said it expected its new lending to grow more than 10 percent this year. The Hang Seng Index ended up 408.90 points at 21,196.87, its highest close in six weeks.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Shares climbed for the seventh straight session, rising 0.85 percent, boosted by strong data from US that lifted hopes of a global recovery, and a major takeover in the Australian energy sector. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 40.6 points to 4,807.9, its highest level since January 21.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - The rand firmed to a seven-and-a-half week high against the dollar, still cheered by last week's US jobs data which signalled that the world's largest economy is on the mend. The All-share index closed at 28,116.69 points, up 212.04 or 0.76 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,236.53 points, down 22.33 or 0.99 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 22,124.48 points, up 135.75 or 0.62 percent.