LONDON - Stronger commodity and banking stocks drove Britain's top share index to its highest close in 21 months, as investors welcomed the Federal Reserve's pledge to hold down US interest rates and metals prices rose. The FTSE 100 ended up 24.2 points, or 0.43 percent, at 5,644.63, its highest close since late June 2008, after the Fed held US benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares hit a 17-month closing high, with banks, miners and energy stocks gaining from the US Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates near zero for an extended period. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares rose 0.9 percent to 1,070.9 points, its highest close since early October 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,024.28 points, up 53.29 or 0.89 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,957.89 points, up 18.94 or 0.48 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,892.01 points, up 17.58 or 0.26 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,361.43 points, up 249.05 or 1.08 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - The Nikkei average hit an eight-week closing high after the Bank of Japan eased policy in a move seen by many as an attempt to prevent the yen from rising and as chip shares gained on hopes of positive earnings guidance from Intel. The Nikkei climbed 1.17 percent or 125.27 points to 10,846.98, its highest finish since January 21.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares in Hong Kong and China ended higher, as investors cheered the US Federal Reserve's pledge to keep rates near zero for a prolonged period. The Hang Seng Index ended up 1.72 percent or 361.56 points at 21,384.49, the highest since the January 19 close.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks rallied 1.17 percent to nearly a two-month high, after the US Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates low encouraged a return to riskier assets and boosted resource firms. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended up 55.9 points at 4,853.2, its highest close since January 20.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - Stocks hit a near nine-week high, extending gains from the previous session with banks among the top gainers on a stronger rand and better-than-expected retail sales data. The All-share index closed at 28,530.94 points, up 278.35 or 0.99 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,230.41 points, up 11.1 or 0.5 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 22,716.42 points, up 162.4 or 0.72 percent.