March 27, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1428

LONDON, March 26: Europe's main stock markets showed mixed fortunes on Monday ahead of US housing data and amid news of tie-ups involving the mining and housebuilding sectors, traders said.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares climbed 0.17 per cent to 6,350.10 points in late deals.

The Paris CAC 40 fell 0.21 per cent to 5,622.67 points and in Frankfurt the DAX 30 was flat at 6,898.44 in early afternoon trade.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip shares decreased 0.15 per cent to 4,185.47 points. The euro stood at 1.3270 dollars.

In London, investors digested news of two takeovers. Anglo-Swiss mining company Xstrata announced it had made a friendly cash bid worth 4.6 billion Canadian dollars (3.0 billion euros, 4.0 US dollars) for nickel producer LionOre Mining International.

Meanwhile Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey said they would merge to create the biggest British housebuilding group worth about 5.0 billion pounds (7.4 billion euros, 9.8 billion dollars).

On London's second tier FTSE 250 index Taylor Woodrow saw its share price rocket 16.0 per cent to 487.75 pence and George Wimpey jumped 6.14 per cent to 674 pence.

Persimmmon, currently Britain's biggest house builder, gained 4.14 per cent to 1,458 pence, topping the FTSE 100.

Taylor Wimpey -- the name of the new group -- would likely join Persimmon in the leading share index once the merger is complete.

Within the mining sector, Xstrata rose 1.75 per cent to 2,623 pence on the FTSE 100.

News of its takeover lifted Xstrata's rivals, with BHP Billiton up 1.88 per cent to 1,140 pence and Rio Tinto climbing 1.77 per cent to 2,931 pence.

In Madrid, an announcement of a counter bid for Endesa against E.ON of Germany by Spanish coompany Acciona and Italian company Enel, pushed up Endesa shares by 5.8 per cent to 40.9 euros.

In earlier Asian trade, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei-225 index of leading shares closed up 0.24 per cent at 17,521.96 points. Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index finished 0.37-per cent higher at 19,765.85.

Wall Street shares had ended modestly higher Friday after a stronger-than-expected report on US home sales eased fears of economic weakness ahead, offsetting the impact of a jump in oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.16 per cent at 12,481.01 points, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite added 0.18 per cent to 2,456.18 points and the broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 rose 0.11 per cent.—AFP