IN Paris share prices closed slightly higher in thin volumes after a day of sluggish, volatile trade, lacking direction from Wall Street which was closed for Thanksgiving, and with only France Telecom and Vivendi carving out significant gains, dealers said.

Share prices were up sharply across a range of blue chips in afternoon trading, rallying from opening lows as investors covered short positions made ahead of this morning's string of discouraging European corporate earnings, dealers said.

SHARE prices in London hit six-year lows yesterday, while shares in Paris and Amsterdam fell to five-year lows, as more than 1 billion was wiped off the value of shares on the Irish Stock Exchange.

Share prices were higher in midday trading, lifted by a tentative round of bargain hunting after heavy selling seen last Thursday and Friday, although Axa underperformed as investors fear a recent string of capital increases by European insurers could signal similar moves for the rest of the sector, dealers said.

Share prices closed sharply lower, particularly among Dassault Systemes and other high-tech names as consolidation in the sector picked up pace this afternoon with a drifting performance by the Nasdaq composite, dealers said.