European stocks finished slightly higher Tuesday, as volumes remained thin with little news to give markets any clear direction on the first trading day after the long holiday weekend. Plans for a government bailout will need to be approved by the European Union to ensure state-aid rules aren't breached, European Central Bank Governing Council member Jens Weidmann said Monday.

U.S. stocks rose in a thinly traded session on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq hitting its latest in a series of records as the market's recent upward bias continued, helped by a gain in technology shares. The 20,000 milestone, meanwhile, remained elusive for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which came within 20 points of the psychologically important level only to give up most of the day's gains.

Asian shares were broadly higher Wednesday, with strength on Wall Street driving up Australian stocks, while equity markets in Southeast Asia were boosted by the return of some foreign funds. The Tokyo exchange lifted a trading suspension of the shares after Hitachi said that nothing has been decided. Nikkei said the possible deal could exceed Y150 billion ($1.27 billion).