Europe surges to 6-week highs

LONDON, England (CNN) -- European markets closed at six-week highs on Thursday as reassuring corporate results were supported by another positive start on Wall Street.

London's FTSE 100 rose 1.6 percent to 4,434.7 and the CAC 40 blue chip index in Paris gained 3.1 percent to 3,592.6, while Frankfurt's electronically traded Xetra Dax was up 0.6 percent to 3,891.67 in late trading (the German market was set to close at 1800 GMT).

The pan-European FTSE Eurotop 300, a broader index of the region's largest stocks, was up 1.9 percent to 1,003.67 -- breaking through the 1,000 mark for the first time since July 12. The information technology, computer services and steel sub-sectors were the top gainers.

"Companies are reporting results that are at least in line or even above estimates as brokers' forecasts have finally come down to reasonable levels," Henning Kelch, a European fund manager at Commerz Asset Managers, told Reuters.

German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp was up 5.3 percent to 14.01 euros in late Frankfurt trading -- off its highs for the day -- after posting results that beat expectations. The company said a recovery in demand for steel on international markets had boosted earnings in the third quarter. (Full story) Anglo-Dutch rival Corus Group (CS) gained 7.3 percent to 59 pence.

Aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce (RR) jumped 15.3 percent to 154.5 pence after reporting a fall in first-half profits in line with guidance after the September 11 attacks, although it warned its 2003 return to growth could be hit by a pension fund review. (Full story)

French retailer Pintault-Printemps-Redoute shot up 18 percent to 90.10 euros after saying it planned to sell the mail order business of its Guilbert subsidiary to U.S. office supplies retailer Staples (SPLS) for 825 million euros, including outstanding debt repayments. (Full story)

Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant jumped 10.6 percent to 32.95 Swiss francs after its results beat expectations. (Full story)

Dutch banking and insurance group ING gained 2.7 percent to 23.65 euros. On Thursday, ING stood by its outlook for higher profits this year after reporting slightly lower first half earnings which included 625 million euros ($610.9 million) in loan loss provisions. (Full story)

Europe's biggest telecom equipment maker Alcatel (PCGE) surged 12.8 percent to 6.24 euros, while German software giant SAP (FSAP) was up 3.3 percent to 88.35 euros and Siemens (FSIE), the German telecom equipment maker, was up 0.3 percent to 53.13 euros in late Frankfurt trading.

Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, gained 4.1 percent to 15.12 euros, and rival Ericsson jumped 25 percent to 8.75 Swedish crowns as investors ploughed back into the stock after recent sell-offs.

Meanwhile, Swisscom lost 0.6 percent to 416.50 Swiss francs -- after posting earlier gains. Switzerland's dominant phone company reported earnings that were in line with market expectations, and maintained its forecast of a slight growth in revenue for the full year. (Full story)

The AEX index in Amsterdam gained 3.9 percent and Milan's MIB30 index climbed 1.2 percent, while the SMI in Zurich rose 0.5 percent.

In the U.S. on Thursday, strength in Hewlett-Packard and Home Depot helped propel the Dow Jones industrial average above 9,000, a level it has not closed above since early July. (Full story)

In addition, an upgrade of tech leader Microsoft countered the negative impacts from profit warnings by retailer Barnes & Noble and fiber-optic gear maker Ciena.

In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average stood at 9,024.51, up 67.28 points. The Nasdaq composite gained 10.21 points to 1,419.46, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.29 points to 958.65.