Europe's broad STOXX 600 index rose to 495.81 points, surpassing the 495.46 reached in Jan. 2022, as unexpectedly strong revenue forecasts from U.S. chip giant Nvidia lifted sentiment around the world.

FIONA CINCOTTA, SENIOR FINANCIAL MARKET ANALYST, CITY INDEX, LONDON

"(Today's gains) are obviously a result of the AI optimism which stemmed from the Nvidia results, they were probably the most keenly awaited results of all time and they really didn't disappoint."

"That fueled expectations around this AI rally that we've been seeing across the end of 2023 and start of 2024. Not only have we got this optimism around AI, there are expectations that the ECB and Fed at some point will start cutting interest rates and that does support the upbeat mood."

"U.S. futures are surging higher, we saw the Nikkei trading at all time highs, this is part of a global story, it's not European centric."

(Reporting by the Markets Team; Compiled by Dhara Ranasinghe)