German shares ended a lively session higher as the dollar strengthened appreciably against the deutschmark and Dow Jones closed 1.31 per cent higher overnight. Firmer bunds also helped to support the market and dealers said sentiment was more bullish than it had been for some time.

Paris CAC-40 2042.12 (+21.82)

The Paris Bourse staged a strong performance in active trading and it was the bourse's fifth straight winning session, during which it has advanced by 3.6 per cent. The bourse climate was helped by the dollar's firmness, exports, a large part of which are priced in dollars, being important to many listed firms. The market was also pleased with interim results announced by several groups the last few days.

Milan Mibtel 9485 (+55)

Italian shares ended with modest gains with Olivetti once more the centre of attention. Investors used a modest bounce in the Olivetti share to unload more large volumes of stock.