Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
Swedish telecoms network giant Ericsson boosted tech stocks with bullish comments about its first-quarter margins, while insurers such as France's Axa also benefited as investors began the quarter in a more positive frame of mind.
The ECB left benchmark rates unchanged at 2.0 percent, as expected, but dampened expectations of a future cut in rates, sticking to its view that a modest recovery is on track.
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the bank had concluded "the present level of interest rates is the kind of level which ensures price stability".
The S&P/ASX 200 index ended up 30.9 points or 0.9 percent to 3,446.2.
The All-share index closed up 0.7 percent or 72.99 points to 10,765.55, the Gold index ended up 0.06 percent or 1.42 points to 2254.37, while the Industrial index closed up 0.25 percent or 18.61 points to 7321.46.