European stock exchanges posted gains, with the London FTSE 100 index rising 0.75% to close at 6,640 points.
Miners were strong, with Lonmin up 3.1% to £43, but brewers fell after Scottish & Newcastle said operating profit at its UK business fell in the first half of this year. Diageo lost 0.7% to £10.36.
The continuing merger activity also lifted European stocks, though the rise was less marked in London ahead of an expected interest rate rise on Thursday. In Paris, the CAC 40 gained 0.71% to finish at 6,070 points, while in Frankfurt the DAX gained 1.16% to end the day at 8,051.
In Dublin, the ISEQ gained 46 points to 9,379. Irish Life & Permanent added 28 cent to €18.80.
US stocks swung higher in pre-holiday trade as Wall Street digested the latest deals including US-based Kraft's offer for Danone's LU biscuits and a Canadian mining tie-up.
The Dow Jones was trading up 0.32% at 13,579 and the Nasdaq had risen 0.38% to 2,642.
In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei ended up marginally at 18,150. Hong Kong share prices hit a new record, with the benchmark closing above 22,000 points for the first time, buoyed by strong showing on Wall Street and firmer China markets. The Hang Seng closed up 1.74% at 22,151.14.
