Stock Market

European shares closed higher on Tuesday, with miners gaining on stronger metals prices and heavyweight banks recovering ground lost on Monday. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares rose 3.5 percent to close at 733.69 points, following a 3.9 percent fall on Monday. The index rose 2 percent in March, but fell 11.8 percent in the first quarter of 2009, hurt by a banking crisis and several major economies in recession.