Frankfurt Dax: 3098.00 (+30.94)

Frankfurt floor trading closed at a new peak of 3098.0 on the Dax index, boosted by the strength of the dollar trading above 1.64 deutschmarks, which was seen as boosting export prospects. The surge continued into the electronic after hours session, with the IBIS Dax closing the after hours session on 3114, breaking through a key chart point at 3110. Chemical shares were the main focus of attention, while Lufthansa maintained its strong gains after its restructuring.

Paris CAC-40: 2541.25 (+38.18)

In Paris, French stocks also rose to new highs on expectations that the US central bank would not raise interest rates after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The blue chip CAC-40 index, bolstered by a strong dollar and rising bond prices, was up 1.53 per cent at 2544.06 before falling back slightly in afternoon trading.

Milan MIBTEL: 12636 (+225)

Italian shares closed at a session high, boosted by other stock markets and paid little attention to the rumblings over whether Italy will make it into the first wave of EMU.