EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: A fresh flurry of merger and acquisition talk around firms such as Scottish Power boosted European shares, outweighing a weaker Wall Street and oil stocks pressured by a lower crude price.
European stock markets consolidated earlier in the day, entrenching last week's 4 percent in gains the main pan-European index, but market commentators expect further buying with shares generally seen as good value.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index posted a close of 1,226.19 points, up 5.21.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5024.2 points, up 28.96 or 0.58 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4503.65 points, up 4.95 or 0.11 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7253.67 points, up 48.69 or 0.68 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25570 points, up 67 or 0.26 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Shares slipped as the world's biggest miner and local index heavyweight, BHP Billiton, was pressured by offshore losses, while some investors turned cautious due to the interest rate outlook. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index lost 7.0 points, or 0.15 percent, to 4,512.5, after rallying 3.1 percent last week - its biggest weekly gain since March 2003.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: South African stocks edged higher to a fresh peak for 2005 as a weak rand spurred mining stocks and an upbeat trading statement pushed up fund manager Coronation. The All-share index added 175.96 points or 1.04 percent to close at 17,057.86 points. The All Gold index closed at 2071 points, up 33.4 or 1.64 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 12614.41 points, up 162.1 or 1.30 percent.