Minutes after opening, the Stockholm OMX 30 index was up 1.93 percent, Helsinki added 1.91 percent, Oslo rose 1.75 percent and the Copenhagen stock exchange gained 0.62 percent.

The hike came on the heels of steep losses Wednesday, when the four markets lost between 2.56 percent, in Stockholm, and 1.08 percent in Oslo amid global concerns the US and eurozone debt crises will push the world economy back into recession.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011