Frankfurt DAX: 5575.16 (+10.95)

Fuelled by liquidity, German shares finished trade at a fresh record high but met with some resistance in late trade which prevented them scaling a technical and psychological key level. The DAX-30 index closed 0.20 per cent higher. In later screen-based trade the Xetra DAX index ended at 5592.46, up 62.27 points.

Paris CAC-40: 4,108.71 (+58.93)

The market was thin but shares still rose to end at a session and all-time high, the light-headed market unperturbed by any overseas profit-takers as the bourse month kicked off. The CAC-40 index was 1.46 per cent higher.

Milan Mibtel: 24,791 (+473)

Italian stocks ended firmer, lifted in late trade by a wave of Credito Italiano buying on news of the formalisation of its merger with Unicredito.