European sharemarkets ended mixed on Tuesday, with national benchmark indexes increasing in nine of the 18 markets in western Europe.

The gainers were led by energy companies as the price of oil rose over news of the hijacking of a Saudi oil super tanker by Somali pirates on Monday.

Shares in Europe's third-largest energy producer, Total SA, gained 4.6 percent to 40.76 euros, while shares in Europe's second-biggest oil producer, BP, added 4.1 percent to 507.5 pence. Shares in Europe's largest oil producer, Royal Dutch Shell, gained 3.9 percent to 1,693 pence.

At the close of trading on Tuesday, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of pan-European blue chips gained 7.960 points, or 0.951 percent, to close at 845.37, while the UK's FTSE 100 gained 76.39 percent, to close at 1.85 percent, to close at 4208.55.

France's CAC index added 35.37 points, or 1.11 percent, to close at 3217.40, while Germany's DAX gained 22.20 points, or 0.49 percent, to close at 4579.47.

On the commodity markets, Brent Crude lost 99 US cents, or 1.9 percent, to close at US$50.67 a barrel, while on the Forex Gold Index, gold gained US$4, or 0.5 percent, to be worth US$738 an ounce.

© NewsRoom 2008