U.S. stock-index futures rose, as investors awaited a consumer-confidence report and data showed housing prices jumped in October

Global markets:

Nikkei 16,291.31 +112.37 +0.69 %

Hang Seng 23,306.39 +61.52 +0.26 %

Shanghai Composite 2,115.98 +18.45 +0.88 %

FTSE 6,749.09 +17.82 +0.26 %

CAC 4,295.95 +20.24 +0.47 %

Crude oil $98.30 (-1.00%).

Gold $1196.10 (-0.64%).

European stocks rose , heading for its largest annual increase since 2009, against the background of the shortened trading , as well as in anticipation of the publication of data on U.S. consumer confidence and the housing market . Futures on U.S. stock indexes and Asian shares have not changed .

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.2 percent, extending its profit this year to 17 percent , as the European Central Bank pledged to keep interest rates low for an extended period

Many market participants are awaiting data on house price index from the S & P / Case-Shiller October ( at 14:00 GMT). According to estimates , the figure rose to 13.4% , after increasing 13.3 % in September.

In addition, the focus will be PMI Chicago in December. For this index is closely watched as it is published shortly before the business activity index from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) , and may give an idea of how will the indicator of business activity at the national level. According to the average forecast of this indicator fell to 61.3 from 63.0 in November.

Would also not unimportant indicator of consumer confidence for December. It is expected that this figure has improved to the level of 76.5 points compared to 70.4 points in November .

SBM Offshore shares rose 1.5 percent , while demonstrating the sixth session growth picked up and reached the highest price in the past four weeks .

Cost Debenhams Plc fell 13 percent , dropping to the lowest price since May 2012 . The retailer said that sales during the Christmas week were below expectations. In addition, the company reported that profit before tax dropped by about 26 percent - to 85 million pounds ($ 140 million ) for the first half of the financial year.

BCP shares fell 3.3 percent. Since last week, the cost of Portuguese lender fell by 9.5 percent , while retreating from the highest level in more than two years.

FTSE 100 6,753.18 +21.91 +0.33%

CAC 40 4,288.84 +13.13 +0.31%

DAX Closed

Asian stocks outside Japan rose, with a regional gauge extending gains into a third day as consumer and utilities companies advanced.

The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index climbed 0.2 percent to 467.83 as of 1:01 p.m. in Hong Kong. Global equities soared by more than $9 trillion in 2013 as central bank stimulus helped the U.S. economy gain momentum and Europe recover from its longest-ever recession.

Nikkei 225 Closed

Hang Seng 23,306.39 +61.52 +0.26 %

S&P/ASX 200 5,352.21 -4.59 -0.09 %

Shanghai Composite 2,115.98 +18.45 +0.88 %

HanKore Environment Tech Group Ltd. (BIOT) soared 35 percent in Singapore after a filing showed China Everbright International Ltd. plans to transfer water-industry investments to the company.

Sinopec Kantons Holdings Ltd. gained 4.6 percent in Hong Kong after the oil trader said its controlling shareholder China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. is considering a asset injection of natural gas pipelines.

Perseus Mining Ltd., a gold producer, sank 3.9 percent in Sydney as the precious metal headed for its biggest annual decline since 1981.

Nikkei 225 16,291.31 +112.37 +0.69%

Hang Seng 23,244.87 +1.63 +0.01%

S&P/ASX 200 5,356.8 +32.74 +0.61%

Shanghai Composite 2,097.53 -3.72 -0.18%

FTSE 100 6,731.27 -19.60 -0.29%

CAC 40 4,275.71 -1.94 -0.05%

DAX 9,552.16 -37.23 -0.39%

Dow +25.94 16,504.35 +0.16%

Nasdaq -2.39 4,154.20 -0.06%

S&P -0.31 1,841.09 -0.02%