LONDON (AFP) - European stock markets rose in early deals, boosted by a strong rally on Wall Street overnight, dealers said.
The London FTSE 100 index gained 0.43 percent to 4,603.20 points, the Frankfurt DAX won 0.49 percent to 3,881.25 points and the Paris CAC 40 rose 0.48 percent to 3,636.83.
The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone shares advanced by 0.60 percent to 2,755.72 points.
The euro stood at 1.2784 dollars.
Wall Street recovered strongly Tuesday, led by soaring insurance stocks after the world's biggest insurance broker, Marsh and McLennan, learned it would not face criminal charges over its business practices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1.42 percent at 9,888.48 points after closing a day earlier around lows not seen since November 2003.
The tech-rich Nasdaq composite ended the day up 0.77 percent at 1,928.79 points and the broad market Standard and Poor's 500 index finished 1.49 percent higher at 1,111.09.
In Asia, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei-225 index closed 0.18 percent higher at 10,691.95 points on Wednesday despite cautious trading amid concerns about the possible impact on the economy of the sustained series of earthquakes in northern Japan, dealers said.
Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index ended 0.11 percent lower at 12,838.71 points on continuing concerns over high oil prices, traders said.
In London, Shire Pharmaceuticals was the leading blue-chip riser in early deals, jumping 4.02 percent to 542.75 pence after announcing it had won approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its kidney treatment, Fosrenol.
Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant, led the losers, dropping 1.56 percent to 442.5 pence after posting a 2.0-percent fall in third-quarter pretax profit as sales of ice cream, soft drinks and household goods were hit by poor European weather
Unilever, whose shares are hovering around a four-year low in the wake of a profit warning last month, posted pretax profit in the three months to September 30 of 1.32 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars), down from 1.34 billion a year earlier.
In Frankfurt, insurers extended gains won a day earlier after New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer decided not to bring criminal charges against Marsh and McLennan Companies.
Allianz won 1.33 percent to 80.71 euros and Munich Re added 1.11 percent to 75.01 euros.
German heavy industry giant ThyssenKrupp rose 1.84 percent to 14.97 euros after ThyssenKrupp Automotive, the group's car parts arm, said it had entered into a joint venture agreement with Japanese companies Sumitomo Metals Industries and Sumitomo Corporation.
10/27/2004 - 11:27 GMT - AFP