European stock exchanges mostly closed stronger today, although the London FTSE slipped 0.02%, or 1 point, to finish at 6,090.
In Paris the CAC climbed 35 points (0.69%) to reach 5,013, while in Frankfurt the DAX added 29 points (0.42%) to end the day at 6,925.
In Dublin, the ISEQ was more than 2% higher, adding 128 points to 6,306. The banks closed higher today, with Anglo Irish Bank up 58 cent (over 7%) to €8.68, AIB up 30 cent (2.25%) at €13.65 and Bank of Ireland up 5 cent at €8.92, despite more bad news on the missing laptops.
Wall Street was also higher this afternoon as a takeover unveiled for chewing gum giant Wrigley and a big investment in Ford Motor Co spurred buying interest.
The Dow Jones was up 20 points (0.15%) to 12,912, extending its advance after modest gains over the past week. The Nasdaq composite drifted up 5 points (0.22%) to 2,428.
The market action came as billionaire Kirk Kerkorian said he has built a 4.7% stake in Ford Motor Co and is seeking another 1%.
Earlier, Japan's Nikkei hit a two-month closing high of 13,894.37, up 31 points. The Hang Seng closed 150 points higher at 25,666.
