The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index (ST:SXXP 229.29, +2.84, +1.25%) rose 1.2% to 229.09, with the move helping the index to show a gain of 0.2% in a volatile week. "Market sentiment is changing a lot. Just a few days ago we had lots of worries about the U.S. consumer and spending," said Robert Bergqvist, strategist at SEB. "I think that risk appetite should get some support from upward economic revisions," he said. On a regional basis, the U.K. FTSE 100 index (UK:UKX 4,750, +60.61, +1.29%) climbed 1.3% to 4,749.15, the German DAX index (DX:DAX 5,289, +57.47, +1.10%) advanced 1.3% to 5,297.26 and the French CAC-40 index (FR:PX1 3,495, +45.08, +1.31%) rose 1.3% to 3,495.94. China's Shanghai Composite Index ended with a 4.5% gain on Thursday, boosted by strong gains for oil firms. Read more on Asia stocks. Energy companies also helped U.S. stocks to finish higher on Wednesday. U.S. stock futures were pointing to another day of gains on Wall Street, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures up 23 points. Companies correlated to commodity prices were among the best performers in Europe on Thursday, with oil giant Total (FR:FP 38.64, +0.85, +2.25%) (TOT 54.90, +0.73, +1.35%) up 2.3% in Paris. British Union Answers Health-Care Criticism A British health-care union stages a demonstration in London to voice opposition to some Americans' criticism of the U.K. National Health Service. Oil futures traded over $73 a barrel in electronic trading. The contract soared $3.23, or 4.7%, on the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday, on an unexpected drop in inventories. Read more on crude. Metal futures were also higher, with contracts on copper, silver and platinum all advancing. Results were also on the agenda for commodity-sector investors, with Rio Tinto (UK:RIO 2,341, +28.00, +1.21%) (RTP 155.05, +0.07, +0.05%) shares up 1.5%. The firm's first-half net earnings fell 65% to $2.45 billion in the first half of 2008, just below analyst forecasts. Still, the company reduced its debt by $14.8 billion during the period and the miner still expects to pay a full-year dividend. See full story. Gains were seen in other sectors in Europe as well, with shares of Dutch supermarket operator Ahold (NL:AH 8.34, +0.20, +2.47%) up 2.4%. The firm's second-quarter net income fell 42.3% to 195 million euros but beat analyst expectations after it posted higher sales at its Stop & Shop and Giant stores in the U.S. Net sales rose 11.5% to 6.4 billion euros. See full story. "We believe the second-quarter result underlines the robustness of Ahold's business model and, with the shares trading on ten times 2010 forecast price-to-earnings, we believe they offer significant upside potential," said analyst at RBS. Swiss cement maker Holcim (CH:HOLN 65.45, +0.35, +0.54%) climbed 6.7%. It also posted a second-quarter profit drop that beat analyst expectations. Net profit fell 35% to 453 million Swiss francs. Banks were also strong, with UBS (CH:UBSN 16.74, -0.16, -0.95%) (UBS 16.22, +0.78, +5.05%) shares up 4.3%. A compromise deal will see UBS hand over the details of 4,450 customers to Swiss regulators, who will then pass them on to the U.S. UBS isn't paying any fine as part of the deal. The Swiss government said late Wednesday that it will sell its stake in UBS in the wake of the agreement with the U.S. Read analyst reaction to UBS deal. Read more on stake sale plans.

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