LONDON - Britain's top share index rose for a seventh-straight day, boosted by supermarkets after a solid update from Wm Morrison, and after strong US quarterly results, with heavyweight miners lending support. The FTSE 100 closed at 4,481.17 points, up 37.55 or 0.85 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares rose for the seventh straight session, reaching their highest close since early January, with mining and energy stocks in the lead while banks and mobile phone maker Nokia fell. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares advanced 0.8 percent to 888.18 points — its highest close since January 6.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROpean markets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,093.97 points, up 63.82 or 1.27 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,302.89 points, up 31.95 or 0.98 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,636.19 points, up 8.26 or 0.15 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 20,518.83 points, up 310.92 or 1.54 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average climbed 2.7 percent to its highest close in two weeks as optimism grew about a recovery in the US economy, reviving investor appetite for riskier assets and lifting blue-chip exporters such as Canon. Mitsubishi and other trading houses advanced on rising metals prices and firm oil. The Nikkei added 256.7 points to 9,652.02, its highest finish since July 6.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - China-listed shares posted their biggest one-day drop in five weeks as the world's largest initial public offering so far this year took subscriptions while Hong Kong shares stalled at the 10-month high it scaled in the previous session. The Hang Seng Index was down 0.64 points at 19,501.73 after opening at 19,601.86, its highest level since September 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian shares eked out a tiny gain to extend their winning streak to six days, buoyed by the top miners, though the rally ran out of steam on profit taking ahead of the upcoming reporting season. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose just 0.4 points to 4,050.7.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's stocks notched up a third straight day of gains, boosted by heavyweight miners on higher metal prices, while the rand firmed to a near three-week high. The All-share index closed at 23,857.98 points, up 202.5 or 0.86 percent.