European shares closed on Monday at their highest level in nine months.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 1.4% at 941.93 points after touching 947.01 - its highest level since early November.
In Frankfurt - the DAX index ended at 5,426.85 points, up 94.71 or 1.78%.
In Paris - the CAC-40 index closed at 3,477.8 points, up 51.53 or 1.5%. The Swiss market index closed at 5,967.43 points, up 16.74 or 0.28%.
In London, the FTSE 100 ended 74.10 points, or 1.61% higher at 4,682.46.
Stocks in the United States also forged higher on Monday.
Other markets
In Tokyo, the Nikkei lost 4.36 points to end at 10,352.47.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index finished up 1.14% or 233.93 points at 20,807.26 - its highest closing level since early September.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index rose 19.4 points, 0.46%, to close at 4,263.4 - its highest close since 5 November. July's gains were the biggest monthly gain for nine years.
The All Ordinaries index rose 21 points, or 0.49%, to 4270.5 points.
In New Zealand, the NZX50 index closed up 31 points, 1%, at 3047 on turnover of $53 million.
The dollar was trading at 66.22 US cents, 79.14 Australian cents, 39.6 pence, 62.73 yen, and 0.4673 euro. The Trade Weighted Index at 61.55.
