Frankfurt DAX: 2676.50 (+20.77)

The Frankfurt stock market, like London, zipped up to a new record closing high as the DAX index gained 0.78 per cent on the day, thanks largely to Wall Street's record-setting performance on Tuesday. Frankfurt stocks also benefited from the firmness of the German bond market and from the dollar's strength.

Paris CAC-40: 2141.84 (+18.63)

The Paris Bourse was firm, moving ahead after the brief pause noted on Tuesday. The CAC-40 index opened with a strong gain of 0.47 per cent and ended up 0.88 per cent on the day. Trading was active with share volume of five billion francs. The Bourse was helped by a dip in US long rates and the strong Wall Street performance, as well as by record highs in London and Frankfurt.

Milan Mibtel: 10145 (+71)

The Milan market chalked up a satisfying rise but failed to show the sparkle of the performance of the bond market and the lira which reached record highs.