European stock markets ended the week on a bright note on Friday, posting gains on revised US consumer confidence data that showed sentiment had held up in August.
The British FTSE 100 index rose 0.81 percent to 4,490.1 points, while the German DAX 30 gained 0.49 percent to 3,851.18 points and the French CAC 40 edged up 0.53 percent to 3,649.24.
The DJ Euro STOXX 50 index of leading eurozone shares rose 0.59 percent to 2,704.53 points.
The euro stood at US$1.2043.
As European markets closed, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had edged up 0.14 percent in New York and the tech-rich Nasdaq was 0.48 percent higher.
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei-225 index ended 0.72 percent higher at 11,209.59 points on Friday, led by gains in commodity price-linked stocks as continued declines in crude oil costs helped sentiment, dealers said.
Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index closed up 0.27 percent at 12,818.42 points.
In the US, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, based on survey results, eased to 95.9 points in late August from 96.7 in late July. It was up, however, from an early August reading of 94.0.
The sentiment reading was better than the 94 points being forecast by many economists.
London's stock market was kept afloat thanks to strong performances by oil and pharmaceutical shares.
British energy giant BP rose 2.47 percent to ?4.97 and its main rival Shell won 1.56 percent to ?4.06.
In Paris, Total gained 1.26 percent to 160 euros.
The price of shares in Glaxo-SmithKline meanwhile rose 0.97 percent to ?11.42 on news late Thursday that the firm was to pay US$2.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General's office.
The lawsuit alleged that, starting in 1998, GSK engaged in a concerted effort to withhold negative information concerning the drug Paxil and misrepresented data concerning its safety and efficacy when prescribed for depression in children and adolescents.
Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca climbed 1.43 percent to ?25.48 following the completion of patient recruitment for trials of its lung cancer drug Iressa, dealers said.
In Frankfurt, the leisure group TUI lead stocks higher, gaining 1.63 percent to 15.62 euros on speculation it might be the target of a takeover bid.
The sports group Adidas-Salomon gained 1.34 percent to 106.86 euros.
In Amsterdam, the AEX index was 0.56 percent higher at 326.31 points, the Swiss SMI rose 0.58 percent to 5,463.9, in Milan the MIB 30 advanced 0.61 percent to 27,249, in Madrid the IBEX-35 was up 0.56 percent at 7.882.3 and in Brussels the BEL-20 closed 0.46 percent higher at 2,562.48.
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