Europe's main stock markets closed sharply higher Monday as investors saw the US Fed holding off on a quick interest rate hike, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies climbing 2.57 percent to 6,287.73 points.

In the eurozone, Paris' CAC 40 index finished up 3.54 percent at 4,616.90 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 won 2.74 percent to 9,814.79.