LONDON - Britain's top shares closed sharply higher as Barclays led a banking sector rally after its 2009 forecast-beating results, and oils and miners were buoyed by firmer commodity prices. The FTSE 100 ended up 76.59 points, or 1.48 percent, at 5,244.06, extending gains into a second consecutive session after closing 0.5 percent higher on Monday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares rose for the sixth session in seven. with Barclays leading banks higher after it kicked off the UK sector's reporting season with forecast-beating results. Commodity shares gained on higher crude and metals prices, which were helped by US manufacturing data. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares rose one percent to 1,002.1 points, its highest close since February 3.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,592.12 points, up 81.02 or 1.47 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,669.04 points, up 59.82 or 1.66 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,497.66 points, up 56.9 or 0.88 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 21,798.78 points, up 166.73 or 0.77 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.21 percent but gains were limited by concerns over risk factors such as the impact of China's efforts to curb bank lending and Greece's fiscal woes.

The Nikkei average rose 20.95 points to 10,034.25.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Hong Kong markets were closed to mark the third day of the Lunar New Year. They reopen today. On Friday, the Hang Seng Index ended down 22 points at 20,268.69.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks rose 0.49 percent to end near a two-week high as strong earnings from Westpac Banking, the country's third largest lender, pulled financial stocks up. The S&P/ASX 200 index was up 22.3 points at 4,567.75.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - Stocks ended higher for a second day, tracking gains in global equities and led by miners as commodity prices rose, while the rand edged stronger, also buoyed by a firmer euro. The All-share index closed at 26,939.8 points, up 238.44 or 0.89 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,333.5 points, up 46.68 or 2.04 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,030.34 points, up 8.15 or 0.04 percent.