European shares on average closed up 1% this evening, buoyed by financials after the top three European central banks vowed to pump extra cash into the money markets, while technology shares fell.
London's FTSE gained 57 points (1%) to close at 5,718, after the Bank of England promised extra funds to ease liquidity pressure, while miners also supported the benchmark as metal prices rose. The Paris CAC added 43 points (0.9%) to end at 4,720 while the Frankfurt DAX closed 89 points (1.4%) higher at 6,578.
Dublin's ISEQ index closed 24 points higher at 6,248 this evening, a gain of 0.4%. Shares in the banks were stronger with Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent the biggest gainers. Their shares closed 10 cent higher at €8.80 and up 20 cent at €12.80 respectively. Independent News & Media shares jumped over 8% after it reported annual results today amid a war of words between its two biggest shareholders Anthony O'Reilly and Denis O'Brien.
Wall Street shares continued to decline this evening after a government report confirmed US economic growth slowed sharply during the fourth quarter of last year and as Oracle's results disappointed technology investors. The Dow Jones was down 40 points to stand at 12,383 this evening, while the Nasdaq had sank 22 points to 2,302.
Earlier today Tokyo's key Nikkei 225 index closed 102 points lower at 12,605 as investors fretted about a stronger yen. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index added 47 points to end at 22,664.
