Most European markets were lower again on Friday, with IBEX again the notable exception with a gain of 0.15 percent to 15,529.7.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.56 percent to 1,564.44, while the CAC-40 was down 0.46 percent to 5,740.48 in Paris and the Dax was 0.47 percent lower to 7,884.12 in Frankfurt.

The biggest gainer on the Dax was Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY), which added 1.1 percent to €177.98.

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) was 0.86 percent higher to €123.11.

Both are still up on bids rumors.

Elsewhere in the sector, however, Peugeot (Euronext UG; OTC: PEUGY) was down 2.4 percent to €56.63 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was 2.42 percent lower to €106.05.

Some banks were lower on the resurgence of worries about the credit markets.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 1.25 percent to €75.67 and Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) fell 2.24 percent to €30.08. Insurers also saw declines.

Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was down 1.31 percent to €30.08, while Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) was 2.39 percent lower to €155.73.

Steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) added 1.13 percent to €209.66 on rumors that Russia’s Gazprom (RTS: GAZP; MICEX: GAZP; LSE: OGZD) is interested in buying a stake in Vallourec from Groupe Bollore (Euronext: BOL), a holding company with interestes in logistics, paper, and plastics.

The best performer on the CAC-40 was aerospace and defense group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) with a gain of 3.6 percent to €23.86.

Banks began to recover in Europe as the markets there saw big gains.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 2.73 percent higher to 1,550.62.

Frankfurt’s Dax gained 2.32 percent to 7,750.84, while the IBEX added 3.19 percent to 14,487.8 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 was up 3.27 percent to 5,730.82.

Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) topped the leaders on the Dax with a gain of 5.51 percent to €28.91, while Deutsche Bank was 4.27 percent higher to €94.19.

In Paris, BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO; 8665) was up 5.14 percent to €78 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) jumped 6.88 percent to €121.31.

Insurers also did well.

Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) gained 4.17 percent to €157.97, while AXA (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was up 5.42 percent to €30.33.

The best performance on the CAC-40, however, came from Michelin (Euronext: ML), which was 7.03 percent higher to €90.57.

The tire maker was helped by the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates in the US, which is its biggest market.

There was only one loser on the day on the CAC-40, where eyeglass lens maker Essilor International (Euronext: EF) dropped 0.16 percent to €43.19.

The worst performance on the Dax came from the health care sector as Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) fell 0.77 percent to €37.29.

European markets declined substantially on Tuesday after over a week of steady gains.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.81 percent to 1,488.92. In Frankfurt, the Dax fell 0.74 percent to 7,430.24.

Madrid’s IBEX was 1.26 percent lower to 14,124.8, while the CAC-40 was down 2.08 percent to 5,474.17.

Banks saw substantial declines, with BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) in the biggest drop on the CAC-40, falling 3.36 percent to €75.86.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) dropped 2.88 percent to €116.54, while Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) was 2.81 percent lower to €26.97.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was down 1.7 percent to €90.05, its lowest level in nearly a year.

Other decliners included engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI), which fell 1.91 percent to €88.94 in advance of a meeting between German and US investigators in regard to a corruption probe at the company.

Insurer Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) dropped 3.05 percent to €28.90, while builder Vinci (Euronext: DG) was 2.99 percent lower to €50.32.

Airlines were mixed, with Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) up 0.29 percent to €20.64 but Air France down 3.13 percent to €28.52.

Media group Lagardere (Euronext: MMB) was the only gainer on the CAC-40 as it added 0.8 percent to €57.87.

Utilities were higher in Frankfurt. RWE (FWB: RWE) was up 0.37 percent to €80.65, while Eon was 1.2 percent higher to €119.87 for the biggest gain on the Dax.

European markets were higher on Friday after the US Federal Reserve cut the discount rate at which the Fed lends money to banks from 6.25 percent to 5.75 percent.

While the Fed’s move didn’t affect the benchmark interest rate, which remained at 5.25 percent, the announcement that came with the discount rate cut said that risks to growth have increased.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 2.44 percent to 1,475.99, while the Dax gained 1.49 percent to 7,378.29 in Frankfurt, the Paris CAC-40 was up 1.86 percent to 5,363.63 and Madrid’s IBEX was 2.21 percent higher to 14,288.7.

Banks saw major gains.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) added 2.49 percent to €94.93, while Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) gained 3.73 percent to €27.28 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was up 3.76 percent to €118.16.

Deutsche Postbank (FWB: DBP) was 3.9 percent higher to €54.

Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was the best performer on the Dax with a gain of 4.05 percent to €30.16, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) added 4.73 percent to €78.20.

Insurers were higher as well.

Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) was up 3.53 percent to €158.51, while Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) gained 4.46 percent to €29.02.

Other gainers were in the utilities sector, where Suez (Euronext: SZE; NSYE: SZE) was up 2.49 percent to €37.07 and RWE (FWB: RWE) was 1.78 percent higher to €82.13.

The biggest decliner on the CAC-40 was aerospace group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) dropped 2.56 percent to €19.80 on reports that a German engineering group could be interested in buying some plants that EADS is offering for sale as part of its effort to restructure.

Europe’s equities markets were mostly lower on Wednesday.

The exception was Frankfurt’s Dax, which added 0.28 percent to 7,445.9.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.08 percent to 1,493.42.

In Madrid, the IBEX dropped 0.18 percent to 14,527.6, while the Paris CAC-40 was 0.66 percent lower to 5,442.72.

Banks were mostly lower, again the exception coming in Germany where Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) added 0.47 percent to €29.67. UBS (SWX: USBN; NYSE: UBS; TYO: 8657) dropped 0.4 percent to SFr63.25 after Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) cut the Swiss bank’s target share price from SFr90 to SFr80 but reconfirmed its “buy” recommendation.

Deutsche Bank, in turn, had its recommendation cut from “buy” to “neutral” by Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675), sending the German bank 1 percent lower to €93.43.

Among French banks BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) fell 1.45 percent to €77.05, while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was down 2.29 percent to €116.27.

Insurers also saw declines.

Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) dropped 1 percent to €154.23, while AXA (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was 1.2 percent lower to €28.49 after Credit Suisse (SWX: SCGN; NYSE: CS) cut its recommendation from “outperform” to “neutral”.

The best performance on the Dax came from drug and chemicals group Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863), which added 5.49 percent to €55.07 on the possibility that Novartis (NYSE: NVS) might offer for the company.

Officials of both Bayer and Novartis declined to comment on the rumors.

Stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) had the worst day on the Dax as it dropped 2.66 percent to €80.54.

IT group Cap Gemini (Euronext: CAP) had the best day on the CAC-40, adding 4.04 percent to €45.63, while the worst performer on the 40 was Air France (Euronext: AF; NSYE: AKH) with a 2.74 percent decline to €28.70.

On the other hand, Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) gained 1.56 percent to €20.21.

France Telecom (Euronext: FTE; NYSE: FTE) added 1.26 percent to €20.90 on rumors that it has won the license to sell Apple’s (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC) iPhone in France.

Equities markets made significant gains in Europe on the session Wednesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 1.96 percent to 1,554.5.

In Frankfurt the Dax was up 1.23 percent to 7,605.94, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 2.29 percent to 5,749.29 and the IBEX was 2.4 percent higher to 15,004.2 in Madrid.

Chipmakers saw gains after mobile phone manufacturer Nokia (OMX: NOK1V; NYSE: NOK; FWB: NOA3) said it would partner more closely with 4 companies to design the chips it uses in its phones.

Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) added 1.7 percent to €11.29, while STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 5.7 percent higher to €12.99 on the news.

Insurers were also higher, with Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) up 2.13 percent to €161.16 and Axa (Euronext: CS; NSYE: AXA) gaining 3.58 percent to €30.07.

Airlines were lower as Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) dropped 2.54 percent to €20.73 and Air France, the worst performer on the CAC-40, fell 3.36 percent to €32.22.

Car and truck makers also saw declines.

Man (FWB: EDF1) was 0.08 percent lower to €102.86, while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) dropped 0.92 percent to 61.43 and Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) was down 1 percent to €139.63 after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) removed it from its “conviction buy” list.

The pharmaceuticals sector was mixed, with Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 48.63) adding 5.8 percent to €54.25 after Goldman Sachs reiterated the drug maker’s position on its “conviction buy” list.

Meanwhile, Schering (FWB: SCH) dropped 0.52 percent to €104.03.

Chemicals company Atlanta (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) was the worst performer on the Dax as it dropped 2.98 percent to €16.31, while commercial property investment group Unibail (Euronext: UL) had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 7.22 percent to €180.02.

European markets were higher Tuesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 1.33 percent to 1,523.87.

In Frankfurt, the Dax was up 0.93 percent to 7,513.66, while the IBEX added 1.53 percent to 14,652.9 and the CAC-40 was 1.58 percent higher to 5,620.

Banks and insurers were both higher.

Insurer Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was the best performer on the CAC-40 as it added 3.94 percent to €29.03, while in Frankfurt Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) was 2.2 percent higher to €158.19.

In the banking sector, Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) led the way on the Dax with a gain of 5.32 percent to €31.11, followed by Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB), which added 3.95 percent to €101.35.

Among French banks, Societe General (Euronext: GLE) was 3.17 percent higher to €132.32, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) gained 3.78 percent to €82.97 and Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) added 3.88 percent to €28.13.

The automobile and truck manufacturing sectors were mixed.

BMW (FWB: BMW) was 1.97 percent higher to €36.15, but Renault (Euronext: RNO) dropped 1.06 percent to €99.89 and Man (FWB: EDF1) fell 2.12 percent to €103.02 for the worst performance of the session on the Dax.

Tire manufacturer Michelin (Euronext: ML) had the worst day on the CAC-40 as it dropped 2.07 percent to €86.45 after it said it plans to spend $350 million to improve US production.

The semiconductors sector was lower as STMicroelectroncis (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 0.41 percent lower to €12.29 and Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) fell 1.77 percent to €11.11.

Drug makers were also lower.

Schering (FWB: SCH) was 0.58 percent lower to €104.44, while Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863) dropped 1.93 percent to €51.22.

The European markets saw significant declines on Tuesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.4 percent to 1,587.23.

The least of the losers in terms of percentage was the IBEX, which was down 0.98 percent to 14,909.7 in Madrid.

In Paris the CAC-40 was 1.69 percent lower to 5,907.47, while the Dax fell 1.73 percent to 7,806.79 in Frankfurt.

Car and truck manufacturers were among the few gainers on the session.

In Paris, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) added 0.75 percent to €65.59 for the best performance of the day on the CAC-40.

Meanwhile truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) had the best day on the Dax as it added 1.54 percent to €109.02.

Still, the sector remained mixed with BMW (FWB: BMW) down 2.18 percent to €38.15.

Insurers had the worst day on both the Dax and the CAC-40.

In Frankfurt Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) dropped 2.44 percent to €164.07, while in Paris Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) fell 3.27 percent to €30.50.

Utilities were also lower, with Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) down 2.12 percent to €120.03 and Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) closing at €40.33, a decline of 2.58 percent.

In the semiconductors sector, STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 2.63 percent lower to €13.71, while among oil companies Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) fell 2.28 percent to €59.17.

Deutsche Post (FWB: DPW; LSE: DPO) was down 2.26 percent to €22.07 after a report that United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) has seen strong growth internationally.

Markets in Europe were higher on Friday, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 adding 0.39 percent to 1,627.68.

In Paris, the CAC-40 was 0.24 percent higher to 6,117.96, while the Dax gained 0.49 percent to 8,092.77 in Frankfurt and the IBEX was up 0.55 percent to 15,023.5.

Financial services-related shares did well on the session.

Among banks BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) added 0.71 percent to €87.37, while Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) gained 0.99 percent to €29.72 and Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was 1.47 percent higher to €107.71.

Insurance-focused groups also gained, with Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) up 1.22 percent to €173.12 and Axa adding 1.87 percent to €32.64 for the best performance of the session on the CAC-40.

Financial services group Marschollek (FWB: MLPG), now known as MLP, gained 5.4 percent to €15.89 as the day’s best performer on the Dax.

Other sectors seeing gains on the day included utilities, as EDF (Euronext: EEN) added 0.79 percent to €76.76.

In the chemicals sector, BASF (FWB: BAS; LSE: BFA; NYSE: BF) was up 1.87 percent to €98.88 on an increased target share price, from €92 to €105, issued by UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657).

Schneider Electric (Euronext: SCHN) gained 1.51 percent to €104.77 after Citibank (NYSE: C) raised it recommendation from “hold” to “buy” and on compensation granted in a judgment that grew out of a blocked bid for Legrand (Euronext: LR).

Carmakers saw declines to end the week, with Renault (Euronext: RNO) falling 0.5 percent to €116.66 and DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) dropping 0.85 percent to €68.78.

Groupe Danone (Euronext: BN; NSYE: DA) was 3.36 percent lower to €57.02.

Construction group Vinci (Euronext: DG) was 0.69 percent lower to €57.30, while building materials company Lafarge (Euronext: LG) fell 0.54 percent to €133.81.

Airline Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was down 0.82 percent to €20.58.

In Europe, equities markets were lower on Thursday on interest rate concerns.

While the European Central Bank held interest rates at 4 percent, as had been expected, investors are worried that rates could go up again soon.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.61 percent to 1,610.24. The IBEX was 0.55 percent lower in Madrid to close at 14,907.4, while the Paris CAC-40 fell 0.63 percent to 6,059.53 and the Dax was down 1.09 percent to 7,987.13 in Frankfurt.

There were only four gainers in Paris on the session, with retailer Carrefour (Euronext: CA) having the best day with a gain of 2.81 percent to €54.23.

Others seeing gains included aerospace group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) up 0.21 percent to €24.10.

Drug maker Sanofi-Aventis (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) gained 0.44 percent to €61.44, while power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) added 0.89 percent to €128.03.

In Frankfurt, financial planner MLP (FWB: MLP) performed best on the session as it added 0.52 percent to €15.44, while retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) gained 0.41 percent to €62.01.

The biggest losers on the day in both Pairs and Frankfurt were in the utilities sector.

In Frankfurt, Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) dropped 2.38 percent to €121.51, while EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 3.7 percent lower in Paris, to €77.52.

Insurers had a tough day of it as well. AXA (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was 1.23 percent lower to €32.12, while Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) dropped 1.76 percent to €171.21.