LONDON - Britain's blue chip index hit new closing and intraday highs for the year, driven by strength in banks, as results from Barclays and HSBC pleased investors, and helped by solid gains on Wall Street after data. The FTSE 100 ended 74.1 points, or 1.61 percent higher at 4,682.46, its highest closing level since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in early October 2008, having also reached an intraday peak for 2009 of 4,710.23 yesterday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares closed at their highest level in nine months as better-than-expected July US manufacturing data boosted markets. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 1.4 percent at 941.93 points after touching 947.01, the highest level since early November.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,332.14 points, down 28.52 or 0.53 percent, rising 102.78 points since last Friday.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,426.27 points, down 9.22 or 0.27 percent, 59.82 points up on the week.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,950.69 points, up 18.07 or 0.3 percent, adding 189.79 points from last week.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 21,146.45 points, down 300 or 1.4 percent. The index gained 334.88 points since last weekend.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average was flat after briefly hitting a new 10-month high, with profit-taking after recent sharp gains offsetting rises in auto and tyre makers on hopes the auto sector has seen the worst. In choppy trade, the benchmark Nikkei lost 4.36 points to end at 10,352.47, though it briefly rose as far as 10,380.57 in morning trade - its highest point since early October.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares rose for a third day as positive factory activity data for July prompted strong buying in the power, metal and oil sectors. The Hang Seng Index finished up 1.14 percent or 233.93 points at 20,807.26, its highest closing level since early September 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks rose 0.46 percent to a nine-month closing high, boosted by banks following broker upgrades, with no signs of a retreat after the market logged its biggest monthly gain in nine years in July. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 19.4 points to close at 4,263.4, its highest close since November 5.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - Stocks powered to their highest level since September as surging metal prices buoyed mining stocks and fresh data pointed to an easing recession lifted global equities. The All-share index closed at 24,805.91 points, up 547.4 or 2.26 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,405.33 points, up 101.04 or 4.38 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19,135.27 points, up 101.88 or 0.54 percent.