Frankfurt Dax: 3575.37 (+12.96)

German shares surged in electronic after hours trading after the New York market opened strongly. The IBIS Dax was nudging the 3600 barrier but found it difficult to break through to a level which would leave the index close of its all time high of 3612.

Paris CAC-40: 2693.09 (+59.18)

French shares closed with a jump of more than 2 per cent, ending just below 2700 on the CAC index, pushed by a storming rise on the Dow Jones stock index in New York, traders said. Advances in the food and drinks sector, powered by news of a £20 billion merger between Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, also helped pump up the blue chip CAC40 index. The French firm LVMH, which currently holds 14 per cent of Guinness, gained almost 5 per cent on the news.

Milan MIBTEL: 12314 (+68)

Italian stocks were lifted higher, helped by the rally on Wall Street and firmer domestic bonds. Stocks were little affected by the Italian local election results.