US stock markets rose at this afternoon's opening after the Federal Reserve said it was more upbeat about the economy and Greece looked closer to a bail-out deal. The Dow Jones added 55 points (0.5%) to 11,100, while the Nasdaq gained 14 points (0.6%) to 2,486.
More hopeful signs on a Greek deal also helped European markets to recover. Paris was up 1.1% at 3,828, while Frankfurt gained 0.6% to 6,119. In London, the FTSE added 0.7% to 5,628, with oil shares falling but broadcaster BSkyB gaining 5.5% to 629p after reporting strong customer growth.
In Dublin, the ISEQ jumped 106 points (3.3%) to 3,364. Drinks group C&C jumped 6.1% to €3.39, while building materials group CRH added 5.2% to €20.72. Banks were also ahead, with AIB and Bank of Ireland both gaining 3.8% to €1.50 and €1.74 respectively.
Earlier, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 170 points (0.8%) lower at 20,779 as concerns over euro zone debt continues to hit investors. The markets in Tokyo are closed for a public holiday.
