HERE IS HOW MAJOR STOCK MARKETS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ENDED ON THURSDAY. LONDON - BRITAIN'S FTSE 100 INDEX HIT A FRESH 7-WEEK CLOSING HIGH, BUOYED BY BANKS AFTER UK INTEREST RATES WERE LEFT ON HOLD AND SUPPORTED BY OILS WHICH ROSE WITH NEAR-RECORD CRUDE PRICES. THE FTSE 100 CLOSED AT 5,890 POINTS, UP 63.3 OR 1.09 PERCENT. EUROPE - EUROPEAN SHARES JUMPED, WITH RESOURCE STOCKS PROVIDING A BOOST AS INVESTORS SHRUGGED OFF HAWKISH EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK COMMENTS TO TRACK UPBEAT GAINS ON WALL STREET. SHARES IN TOBACCO COMPANIES INCLUDING BAT ROSE AFTER A U.S. COURT RULING, WHILE DRUGMAKER SHIRE GAINED ON RENEWED BID TALK. THE FTSEUROFIRST 300 INDEX CLOSED UP 1 PERCENT AT 1,318.8, AFTER FALLING 1.2 PERCENT ON WEDNESDAY. ACROSS EUROPE, THE FTSE 100 ROSE 1.1 PERCENT, WHILE GERMANY'S DAX ADDED 1.2 PERCENT AND FRANCE'S CAC 40 GAINED 0.9 PERCENT. FRANKFURT - THE DAX INDEX ENDED AT 5,695.47 POINTS, UP 69.84 OR 1.24 PERCENT. PARIS - THE CAC-40 INDEX CLOSED AT 4,966.45 POINTS, UP 45.15 OR 0.92 PERCENT. ZURICH - THE SWISS MARKET INDEX CLOSED AT 7,704.64 POINTS, UP 45.47 OR 0.59 PERCENT. --MORE 06/07/2006 21:33 ت م
