In the US tonight, after news US interest rates were to be held, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was last up 133 points at 12,655. The S&P 500 was up 10.8 points at 1,439 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 20 points to 2,468.
Crude oil prices climbed more than $1 a barrel for the second straight day, surpassing the $58 mark.
In Asia today, the Hang Seng ended the morning up 199.25 points at 20,305.67, while the Nikkei closed up 136.08 points at 17,519.50.
New York Mercantile Exchange's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, was down 30 cents at $57.84 a barrel from $58.14 dollars in late trading in the US overnight.
MITCHELLS & BUTLERS, MARSTONS, GREENE KING UPPED TO 'BUY' AT ABN AMRO
JD WETHERSPOON UPPED TO 'HOLD' VS 'SELL' AT ABN AMRO
VODAFONE DOWNGRADED TO 'HOLD' VS 'BUY' AT DEUTSCHE BANK
WOLSELEY CUT TO 'EQUAL-WEIGHT' VS 'OVERWEIGHT' AT MORGAN STANLEY