Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
The pan-European index is up 15.3 percent since hitting a lifetime low on March 9, but is down 10.6 percent so far this year after plunging 45 percent in 2008. "Its about time we had some good news," said Mike Lenhoff, chief strategist and head of research at Brewin Dolphin Securities in London. "Does this mean its all coming together? Far from it, but it provides a respite from what has been a monotonous stream of poor newsflow."