European equities shot off the starting blocks today , led by volatile insurers and technology stocks after a late surge on Wall Street and news that Dell Computer raised its sales guidance.
France Telecom was up over seven per cent after the head of consumer electronics firm Thomson Multimedia, Mr Thierry Breton, became the next chairman of the debt-laden operator.
At 8.10 a.m., the FTSE Eurotop 300 index of pan-European blue chips was 2.4 per cent firmer at 851 points while the narrower DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index was 2.9 per cent stronger at 2,333 points.
In New York the Dow Jones industrial average closed 4.57 per cent higher, its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 29th. Meanwhile the tech-laden Nasdaq Composite ended 3.55 per cent firmer.
The Dow was just 0.9 per cent firmer when most European bourses closed while the Nasdaq was 0.8 per cent stronger at that time.
Technology stocks were boosted by news that Dell raised its third-quarter revenue and earnings forecasts.
The world's biggest mobile handset maker Nokia added 4.7 per cent, Europe's biggest consumer electronics group Philips climbed seven per cent.
Recently embattled insurers clawed back some of their losses as the value of their equity investments tracked markets higher.
Dutch Aegon added 5.8 per cent and France's Axa climbed 6.4 per cent.
Also among the top gainers, oil stocks gained on news from the American Petroleum Institute that US crude stocks suffered the second-largest weekly drop in at least 18 years last week as Tropical Storm Isidore ran down supplies in the Gulf Coast.