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European sharemarkets posted gains for a second day on Wednesday, led higher by mining stocks.
Shares in Lonmin, the world's third-largest platinum producer, surged by a third, adding 1,107 pence to close at 3,426 after Xstrata made an unsolicited US$9.8 billion bid, while shares in the Rio Tinto Group rose 2.4 percent to 4,865 pence.
Shares in Anglo American, the world's fourth-biggest diversified mining company, gained 3.2 percent to 2,779 pence, while Vedanta, controlled by India billionaire Anil Agarwal, jumped 3 percent to 1,828 pence.
Shares in the world's second-largest maker of luxury cars, Daimler, gained 3.2 percent to 40.01 euros, while shares in Europe's biggest airline, Air France-KLM, gained 2.8 percent to 18.28 euros as oil prices fell again after hitting a three month low on Tuesday.
At the close of trading on Wednesday, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of pan-European blue chips added 10.680 points, or 0.903 percent, to close at 1,192.99, while the UK's FTSE 100 index gained 31.60 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 5486.10.
France's CAC index gained 61.98 points, or 1.41 percent, to close at 4448.33, while Germany's DAX added 42.69 points, or 0.65 percent, to close at 6561.39.
On the commodity markets, Brent Crude oil lost 45 US cents, or 0.4 percent, to close at US$117.81 a barrel, while on the Forex Gold Index, gold lost US$2.50 or 0.3 percent, to be worth US$879.50 an ounce.
(c) NewsRoom 2008
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