EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks rose to end near their best levels in three weeks, helped by a further retreat in oil prices, with airlines leading the rally.
Shares in Roche rose 2.5 percent to 122.75 Swiss francs after the healthcare group filed for EU marketing approval for its key Tarceva drug.
The prospect of cheaper jet fuel helped airline stocks on Thursday, with British Airways up 2.5 percent, Lufthansa up four percent, and no-frills carrier easyJet jumping 7.5 percent.
The FTSE Eurotop 300 index of pan-European blue chips closed 0.9 percent stronger at 974.2 points. The index advanced 0.3 percent on Wednesday.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 3,832.28 points, up 43.4 or 1.15 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,629.84 points, up 34.58 or 0.96 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,432.4 points, up 57.6 or 1.07 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 20,385 points, up 84 or 0.41 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks rose 0.25 percent after a string of solid earnings results from companies like human plasma products maker CSL and SFE, helped underpin the market. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index put on 8.6 points to close at 3,526.0.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks edged higher as healthy economic data buoyed consumer goods stocks like Tiger Brands, helping to counteract the effects of a slightly firmer rand.
Rosy producer price index data on Thursday helped perk up the all-share index after two days of losses. It gained 46.66 or 0.43 percent to 11,017.06 points.
The All Gold index closed at 1,976.2 points, down 9.43 or 0.47 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 7,660.26 points, up 54.53 or 0.72 percent.