FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Investors on the German stock market regained some courage on Wednesday. The leading index Dax rose by 0.42 percent to 17,426.53 points. By the previous day, the initial panic from the beginning of the week following the severe turbulence triggered by recession worries in the USA had already receded from the market and tempers had calmed down. However, it was still not enough for a real recovery.

The MDax of medium-sized companies gained 0.31% to 24,153.65 points at midweek. The Eurozone's leading index, the EuroStoxx 50, rose by 0.59 percent.

From Japan, where the leading index Nikkei-225 had fallen by more than twelve percent on Monday in the wake of the rising yen and fears of interest rate hikes, the central bank sent out reassuring signals. It said that it would not raise interest rates if the market proved unstable. This was enough to give share prices in Tokyo a further significant boost./la/jha/