LONDON, Dec 12: European stock markets climbed on Monday, with support from mining and media shares, while the London Stock Exchange saw its value hit a record high on reports of an improved bid for Europe’s biggest equity market.

London’s FTSE 100 index of leading shares rose 0.30 per cent to 5,534.20 points in afternoon trading, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 gained 0.70 per cent to 5,319.10 points and in Paris the CAC 40 won 0.60 per cent to 4,688.94.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone shares advanced by 0.74 per cent to 3,526.54 points. The euro stood at $1.1877.

Mining companies were among the biggest gainers in London on rising metals prices, dealers said. Antofagasta jumped 1.37 per cent to 1,778 pence, Anglo American advanced by 0.53 per cent to 1,913 pence and BHP Billiton gained 0.62 per cent to 897 pence.

Elsewhere the London Stock Exchange hit a record 640 pence after weekend media reports that Australia’s Macquarie Bank was set to return with an improved offer for the LSE. It later rose 0.97 per cent to 625 pence.

The reports came after the LSE had rejected on Friday as “derisory” Macquarie’s initial indicative offer of 580 pence per share that valued the exchange at 1.48 billion pounds (2.19 billion euros, 2.59 billion dollars).

The Sunday Times reported that this week, Macquarie would return with a 1.6-billion-pound offer.

In Paris there were large gains for French media groups Vivendi Universal, TF1 and M6, which announced they were in talks to link up their satellite television operations to compete with Internet and mobile telecom services.

Vivendi Universal gained 3.42 per cent to 25.99 euros, TF1 television soared 7.27 per cent to 23.75 euros and M6 television jumped 6.82 per cent to 24.42 euros.

Wall Street shares had risen on Friday, getting a modest late-day lift from a retreat in energy prices as investors readied for this week’s Federal Reserve meeting on interest rates, dealers said.

After a choppy session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.22 per cent to 10,778.58 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.46 per cent to 2,256.73 points.

The broad-market Standard and Poor’s 500 index edged rose 0.28 per cent to 1,259.37.

In Asia, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index jumped 2.17 per cent to close at 15,738.70 points Monday, on the back of US gains and hopes of an upbeat Tankan survey of business sentiment, dealers said.

It was the year’s biggest one-day point rise and the highest closing level for five years and two months.

Hong Kong’s key Hang Seng Index ended 0.50 per cent higher at 14,984.40 points.

—AFP