13 Aug 2011

Calm returns to global share markets

9:35 am on 13 August 2011

US and European share markets have risen again at the end of a turbulent week of trading.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index closed up more than 1%, in a second day of gains, while European shares rose 3.6%.

The London benchmark index finished the week higher, though the French and German markets failed to make back all their losses earlier in the week, the BBC reports.

The gains came as Europe makes another attempt to restore market order by banning short-selling of some financial shares - a practice that allows traders to profit by gambling that a stock price will fall.

Four eurozone countries - France, Italy, Spain and Belgium - banned short-selling of some stocks in an attempt to stabilise markets.