LONDON - Britain's top share index inched higher by close as miners retreated, offsetting strength in banks which were boosted after Lloyds Banking Group said it would return to profitability in 2010. The FTSE 100 closed at 5650.13 points, up 7.51 or 0.13 percent on the day, winning 24.48 points on the week.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European stocks fell following a late-session sell-off in resource-related sectors, hit by falling commodities as the dollar gained ground. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.4 percent lower at 1,065.48 points, moving up just 6.51 points on last weekends close.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROpean markets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5982.43 points, down 29.88 or 0.50 percent, adding 37.32 points since last weekend.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3925.44 points, down 12.74 or 0.32 percent, and slipping by 1.96 points in the week.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6880.76 points, down 16.98 or 0.25 percent, gathering 44.16 points since Monday.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23179.2 points, down 67.31 or 0.29 percent, winning 126.19 since last weekend.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.8 percent, with retailer Aeon climbing in the wake of an upbeat profit forecast and as shares rebounded broadly after a resilient performance from the Dow industrials. The Nikkei gained 80.69 points to 10,824.72. The Nikkei rose 0.7 percent, or 73.46 points on the week, for its sixth straight weekly gain.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares ended near an eight-week closing high posted in the middle of this week, while investors were sidelined by worries Beijing may further tighten liquidity by lifting bank reserve ratios. The Hang Seng Index ended up 0.2 percent at 21,370, near Wednesday's 21,284 closing level, the highest since January 19. Since March 12 the index gained 160.26 points.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian stocks nudged up 0.2 percent, taking gains to 6 straight weeks for the index's best run since mid 2007, when it rose for 8 weeks in a row. The S&P/ASX 200 index notched up its fourth straight day of gains rising, 9.1 points to 4,872.20. During the week the index added 54.1 points.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South African equities retreated as concerns over global growth saw investors spurn riskier assets a day after stocks hit a near 19-month high, while the rand succumbed to dollar strength and a lower gold price. The All-share index closed at 28544.15 points, down 261.99 or 0.91 percent on the day, but up 281.75 points on the week.