European stock exchanges posted gains this evening, with London's FTSE rising by 0.5% to close at 6,673. Paris gained 0.5% while Frankfurt ended up 0.3%. Trading was cautious as US markets were closed and markets awaited interest rate decisions on Thursday.
In London, Intercontinental Hotels gained 4% to £13.35 as private equity firm Blackstone Group agreed to buy Hilton Hotels, sparking talk of further industry consolidation. BA added more than 5% to 416p despite a fall in passenger traffic, after it said premium volumes improved.
In Dublin, the ISEQ closed up 50 points at 9,416, with building materials group CRH gaining 40 cent to €37.35. But house builder McInerney dropped 13 cent to €2.11.
Earlier, in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index added 0.1% to finish at 18,169. US stocks advanced on Tuesday in pre-holiday trade as Wall Street investors toasted the latest takeover deals including US-based Kraft's offer for Danone's LU biscuits arm. The Dow Jones closed up 0.3% at 13,577.
