LONDON - Britain's top shares added 1.76 percent, lifted by gains in miners and energy issues as commodity prices rose on an improved demand outlook and investors looked towards further earnings news from the US. The FTSE 100 index ended 91.3 points higher at 5,281.54, a new peak for 2009 on the 22nd anniversary of the "Black Monday" stock market crash of October 1987.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares hit a fresh 12-month closing high on increasing optimism for the third-quarter corporate earnings season, and with food group Nestle rising after a broker upgrade. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares rose 1.7 percent to 1,026.46 points, its highest close since October 3, 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,852.56 points, up 109.17 or 1.9 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at at 3,892.36 points, up 64.76 or 1.69 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,436.37 points, up 91.11 or 1.44 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 24,981.52 points, up 256.8 or 1.04 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 0.21 percent, with exporters such as Kyocera Corp. down after disappointing US corporate earnings robbed the market of upward momentum sparked by earlier upbeat results. In thin trade, the benchmark Nikkei lost 21.05 points to 10,236.51 after earlier falling as much as 1.3 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Stocks closed up at a 14-month high, spurred by optimism that China is on track to meet its growth forecast, while Foxconn International rallied on a rosy outlook for the handset industry. The Hang Seng Index rose 1.23 percent, or 270.56 points to 22,200.46, the highest since August 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks slid 0.9 percent as investors took profits in the top banks following a sharp run-up that priced them for strong growth, while US earnings showed the road to recovery could be bumpy. The S&P/ASX 200 index gave up 43.6 points to finish at 4,792.8, after gaining 1.8 percent last week.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - Blue-chip stocks touched a new 13-month high, boosted by stronger commodity prices, while the rand firmed against the dollar in late trade, taking its cue mainly from the euro. The All-share index closed at 26,425.06 points, up 427.41 or 1.64 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,593.9 points, down 31.06 or 1.18 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,734.06 points, up 244.84 or 1.19 percent.