DAX: 2465.00 (+17.20)

German shares closed slightly higher, boosted by a strong opening on Wall Street and only marginally hit by the news that the Bundesbank was leaving key interest rates unchanged.

The 30 share IBIS DAX, which gauges electronic trade in German blue chips, closed on 2464.51 points.

Earlier, at the end of a cautious trading session, the DAX index, which measures trade in 30 blue-chip German companies, was up 17.89 points, or 0.70 per cent, at 2465 points.

CAC-40:1974.67 (+20.57)

French shares closed more than 1 per cent higher with Wall Street leading the dance. Big gains in the Dow Jones index yesterday afternoon, after drops on Tuesday and Wednesday, pulled French shares back from their lows. The Bank of France also kept their interest rates unchanged.

Mibtel: 9574 (-107)

Italian shares ended near the session lows, ignoring the gains on other markets, with speculative selling in a thin market.