Shares closed late electronic trade at record levels after a spate of US economic data finally managed to ease lingering investor fears of a credit tightening in the US.

The IBIS DAX closed at 2936.69, 32.61 points up on the day, after earlier setting a new record of 2937.78.

CAC-40: 2349.08 (+17.46)

French shares finished higher, lifted in the afternoon by strength in US stock and debt markets after opening lower and spending most of the session stuck nearly unchanged.

Dealers said the market would be sharply focused on December's US non farm payrolls.

Mibtel: 11099 (+369)

Italian shares roared ahead at the close, spurred by an avalanche of domestic buying which drove up recently neglected stocks such as banks and insurance companies.

An influx of money into mutual funds after months of disinvestment was interpreted as signalling a major shift in sentiment towards the stock market.