Italy has led Europe's stock markets in a robustly positive reaction to elections which have put conservatives in a leading position but given anti-EU forces a huge boost in France and Britain.
The Australian share market has pushed back above the 5,500 mark amid a quiet trading session that was buoyed by last week's gains on overseas markets.
US stocks have finished a bumpy week on a high note as technology and small-cap equities shook off the blues from recent weeks and led the overall market higher.
Wall Street stocks have finished higher following mixed US economic data as a closely watched index of small-cap equities outperformed the broader market.
Wall Street stocks have finished with sharp gains following mixed retail sector earnings and Federal Reserve policy meeting minutes that showed little change in policy.
Wall Street stocks have slumped on a batch of mostly-disappointing retail earnings and after a US Federal Reserve official endorsed a speedier rise in benchmark interest rates than some expect.
The Australian share market is making losses, with a positive lead from Wall Street's gains not enough to plug the gloomy sentiment about a plunge in the iron ore price.
The Australian share market has closed lower as mining stocks were weakened by a fall in iron ore prices, and the market generally worried about falling prices on the Chinese property market.
