LONDON, United Kingdom (Reuters):

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.

LONDON - Britain's FTSE 100 index set its highest closing level since February 2001 as a wave of optimism about the global economy, earnings and equity valuations and mergers and acquisitions continued to sweep world markets higher.

The FTSE closed up 19.5 points or 0.3 per cent at 6,244.0.

EUROPE - European shares reached five-and-a-half year highs, boosted by upbeat earnings from companies such as Marks and Spencer and Postbank, a strong European technology sector and rallying U.S. markets.

Shares in Munich Re, the world's second-biggest reinsurer, fell more than two per cent on disappointment that a plan to buy back-up to euro1 billion (US$1.3 billion) of its own stock and a new profit target were not more ambitious.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed unofficially 0.4 per cent higher at 1,470.4 points, after inching to its highest intraday level since late May 2001.

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6361.96 points, up 31.31 or 0.49 per cent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 5437.78 points, down 31 or 0.52 per cent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 8835.63 points, up 37.17 or 0.42 per cent.

MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 30992 points, up 74 or 0.24 per cent.

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average rose 0.18 per cent as investors, encouraged by a rally on Wall Street, picked up blue-chip exporters such as Honda Motor and Fanuc.

The Nikkei gained 28.65 points to close at 16,393.41.

HONG KONG - Hong Kong blue chips set a new peak before easing to a flat close, as investors switched out of heavyweight China Mobile into trailing property shares following a rate cut by local lenders.

The benchmark Hang Seng index eked out a fifth-straight record close, adding 2.76 points, or 0.01 per cent, to end at 18,939.31.

SYDNEY - Australia and New Zealand shares scaled record-closing peaks as strong gains on Wall Street spurred sentiment and miner BHP Billiton rose on strong base metal and oil prices.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 47.5 points, or 0.9 per cent, to a record closing high of 5,491.6, beating Monday's previous record.

JOHANNESBURG - South African stocks hit a new peak despite a firmer rand paring some of the bourse's earlier gains, driven by mining shares BHP Billiton and Anglo American and motor oil-maker Sasol.

The All-share index closed at 24022.61 points, up 71.62 or 0.30 per cent. The All Gold index closed at 2919.6 points, down 26.35 or 0.89 per cent, while the Industrial index closed at 16056.54 points, up 39.57 or 0.25 per cent.