Frankfurt DAX: 5779.09 (+90.59)

In Germany, shares were spurred in part by remarks from Chancellor Helmut Kohl on Sunday, who said Germany's 1998 gross domestic product growth would come in at the higher end of an expected 2.5 to 3 percent. The economic turnaround would also boost jobs, he said.

Paris CAC-40: 4,204.58 (+19.53)

French stocks, buoyed by lower interest rates in France, a steady dollar and gains on Wall Street, swept above the 4,200 mark yesterday to fresh highs. The bluechip CAC 40 index finished up 0.47 per cent, at 4,204.58 points, after touching a historic high of 4,226.11. Volume was brisk, with 12.8 billion francs of shares changing hands - 2.4 billion of that in Alcatel stock, which has been very active since the group announced last week that it was acquiring US telecoms equipment maker DSC Communications Corp.

Milan Mibtel: 24,455 (+235)

Italian shares closed higher, lifted by a strong opening on Wall Street on news of another US banking mega merger. However, trading was fairly thin, dealers said.

The all-share Mibtel rose 0.97 per cent, and the blue chip Mib30 rose 1.14 per cent to 35,890. Leading shares were mostly higher.