5.15pm Markets update
Thursday, 5 November 2009 17:24European stock markets ended higher this evening, helped by positive US employment data.
London's FTSE rose 0.35% to close at 5,126, with telecoms group BT adding 2.5% to 137p and Next gaining another 2.3% to just under £19.02. In Paris the CAC added 1% to end at 3,709, while in Frankfurt the Dax gained 0.7% to reach 5,481.
In Dublin, the ISEQ closed 41 points (1.4%) higher at 2,965, with Bank of Ireland adding another 9% to €1.91 after its H1 results yesterday. AIB also gained, up 4% to €1.76. Bookmaker Paddy Power jumped 4% to €22, but Ryanair dropped back 3.7% to €2.85.
Wall Street powered higher after better than expected US economic data, positive company news and the first day of trading in global giant Hyatt Hotels. The Dow Jones was up 1.5% to 9,952, while the Nasdaq climbed 1.8% to 2,093.
Earlier, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 127 points (1.3%) to close at 9,717. The Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 21,479.
