Finland's HEX index opened higher on Thursday, with Nokia buoyed by a higher overnight close on Wall Street and forestries cautiously higher ahead of results from sector pillars Stora Enso and UPM-Kymmene. "(The forestry results) are coming out in two and three hours... and most likely it will be a little nervous, thin trade," one broker said. "U.S. peers have been coming out with relatively soft numbers and their early outlook for the first quarter and first half have been rather downbeat. So most likely (UPM and Stora) will not make major positive surprises," he added. At 0805 GMT the HEX general index was 1.8 percent at 5,420.44 points, while the narrower HEX 25 index rose one percent to 1,249.21. There were 30 gaining issues, five decliners and eight flat, with brokers saying the gains marked a further snap back for stocks that began a four-day losing streak last Thursday. Turnover was 17 million euros. The mood on European bourses was lifted by late gains on Wall Street after the U.S. Federal Reserve gave reassuring comments that helped counter the some of the gloom over a possible war in Iraq. Shares in Nokia (NOK1V.HE), the world's largest mobile phone maker, were up three percent at 13.70 euros, above the overnight closing equivalent of its New York ADR (NOK.N) which acts as a yardstick for early Helsinki trade. The stock rose 3.1 percent on Wednesday on unsubstantiated market rumours U.S. software powerhouse Microsoft (MSFT.O) was buying a large stake in the world's largest handset maker. Brokers said more meat had to be put on the bones of those rumours before they would continue to spur Nokia's share on Thursday. Nokia, which is fighting Microsoft head-on for control of the software market for mobile phones, declined to comment. Forestries were firmer with UPM-Kymmene (UPM1V.HE) adding 1.2 percent to 29.70 euros with fourth-quarter results due at 1000 GMT, and Stora Enso (STERV.HE) gaining 0.7 percent at 9.60 euros ahead of its report at 1100 GMT. Both firms are expected to post weaker results for the last quarter of 2002 as global paper demand remained depressed despite signs of a recovery in North America, according to a Reuters poll of analysts. Results are also due from packaging group Huhtamaki (HUH1V.HE) at 1100 GMT, and its shares were untraded at 8.70 euros. Huhtamaki is expected to post a 15 percent year-on-year drop in fourth-quarter profit as the firm was also hit by weak economic conditions, analysts said. The market will be eyeing U.S. advanced fourth quarter gross domestic product data and the latest jobless claims at 1330 GMT.