Frankfurt DAX: 5644.29 (+69.13)

In Frankfurt, prices rose by 1.24 per cent, pushing past 5,600 points, owing to the firmness of the dollar and strong company results, dealers said. The previous record on the DAX, set on Monday, was 5,575.16 points.

A dealer at Commerzbank commented: "A flood of funds is submerging the euro zone and, particularly, Germany."

Dealers said that funds were flowing into Europe from southeast Asia owing to renewed uncertainty in the region. The trend was being boosted by strong results from German companies.

Paris CAC-40: 4115.88 (+7.17)

In Paris, prices rose to the 35th record this year, rising by 0.17 per cent, but well off the intra-session peak as early gains in New York looked hesitant. Dealers said that company results in France were attracting the interest of investors. "We've been stuck to the Dow Jones and looking a bit edgy," one dealer said. "But if you look at US bonds, the MATIF, the dollar, there's no reason for the market to turn bad."

Milan Mibtel: 24,884 (+93)

The Mibtel index showed a rise of 0.38 per cent to 24,884 points, after paring gains in afternoon trade as Wall Street reversed direction. Dealers said that there was little fundamental news for the market to grab hold of.