Frankfurt Dax: 2954.95 (+21.56)

German shares opened floor trade at record highs before trading was disrupted by technical problems. The 30 share DAX index ended floor trade firm, buoyed by Wall Street, the stronger dollar and German debt market. The DAX index of leading German shares ended up 21.56 points or 0.73 per cent at 2954.95, but off its trading high of 2961.25.

Paris CAC-40: 2361.27 (+33.77)

France's CAC-40 index hit a high of 2371.38 points, easily surpassing the previous trading peak of 2360.98 set in February 1994 and underlining the recent strength of the French market, which has lagged its main European rivals. Although the market later slipped off its highs, the blue chip CAC-40 index was still up nearly 1.5 per cent at 2361 points.

Milan MIBTEL: 11676 (+258)

The Milan stock market chimed in with a number of other European bourses in scoring a big gain in high volume trading. Volume was a high 1.8 to 1.9 trillion lire. Traders said substantial cash was coming into the market from Italy and abroad, as many operators deserted the bond market for stocks.