Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Friday.
Take-over speculation also lifted Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus, and some analysts saw M&A activity underpinning equities while others said a US-led economic slowdown would hurt stocks by denting corporate profits.
Higher oil prices limited market gains as a storm brewed in the Caribbean with the potential to reach the Gulf of Mexico next week - raising worries over US production already trimmed by an outage in Alaska.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares finished at 1,359.21 points, up 0.09 percent on the day and 0.01 percent for the week.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 35.8 points to close at 5,023.6, falling 28.9 points or 0.6 percent on the week. It had scaled a six-week closing peak on Wednesday.
The All Gold index closed at 3,012.62 points, down 31.97 or 1.05 percent, adding 180.13 points since last weekend. The Industrial index closed at 14,231.66 points, up 80.79 or 0.57 percent and rising 197.97 points since last Friday.