LONDON - Strong US corporate results and improving US economic data lifted Britain's top share index by 2.6 percent to its highest close in four weeks.
Led by energy firms and banks, the FTSE 100 index ended up 108.78 points at 4,346.46, its third day of gains.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST
EUROPE - European shares closed higher after better-than-expected results by Goldman Sachs and Intel boosted investor sentiment, with banking stocks the biggest risers.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares at close was up 2.7 percent at 863.32 points.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets
FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 4,928.44 points, up 146.75 or 3.07 percent.
PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,171.27 points, up 89.4 or 2.9 percent.
ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,473.33 points, up 108.28 or 2.02 percent.
MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 19,781.25 points, up 672.22 or 3.52 percent.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average was flat, giving up earlier gains made on upbeat results from Goldman Sachs and Intel after investors grew cautious ahead of more earnings in the US and Japan.
The Nikkei edged up 7.44 points to 9,269.25.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng
HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares gained 2.1 percent, extending the previous session's best-in-a-month rally as strong earnings from two US bellwethers raised hopes for a global economic recovery.
The Hang Seng Index rose 372.93 points to 18,258.66.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx
SYDNEY - Australian stocks rose 1.5 percent to a two-week closing high,led up by the top miners and banks, as upbeat corporate earnings and economic data raised hopes a global recovery was on track.
The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 57.4 points to 3,924.5, its highest close since June 30.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's resource-heavy bourse raced higher, notching up a seventh straight day of gains, propelled by buoyant metal prices and tracking firmer world equity stocks.
The All-share index closed at 23,569.19 points, up 612.72 or 2.67 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,392.22 points, up 85.67 or 3.71 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,693.43 points, up 374.28 or 2.04 percent.
