European stock markets closed higher this evening after sharp falls last week brought on by mounting fears over the ability of European governments to cope with rising debt levels.
London's FTSE rose 0.6% to 5,092, with strong mining stocks outweighing weakness in financial shares. Insurer Aviva dropped 2.6% to 356p. The Paris CAC climbed 1.2% to 3,607 and the Frankfurt Dax gained 0.9% to 5,485.
In Dublin, the ISEQ finished 18 points (0.6%) at 2,908, with the two big banks recovering slightly. AIB gained 2.8% to €1.12, while Bank of Ireland added 2.5% to €1.22. But food group Greencore dropped 3% to €1.31.
US markets were mixed as they re-opened after a rocky week. The Dow Jones was 0.1% lower at 9,999, while the Nasdaq gained 0.4% to 2,149.
Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei closed 1% lower at 9,952 - the first time the index has been below 10,000 since December 10. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index sank 0.6% to end at 19,551.
