Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares rose for a third day, closing 0.6 percent up at 987.13 points, down from the day's high of 996.12. The index is up 52.9 percent from its lifetime low of March 9, 2009, but is down 8.1 percent from a 15-month high it reached on January 11.