European markets were higher Wednesday after Tuesday’s losses.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.47 percent to 1,497.28.

In Frankfurt, the Dax gained 0.12 percent to 7,439.18.

Madrid’s IBEX added 0.42 percent to 14,183.6, while the CAC-40 was up 0.84 percent to 5,520.02 in Paris.

Hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC) was the best performer on the CAC-40, adding 5.86 percent to €62.91 on first half profits that were more than double and on the announcement of a stock buyback worth €500 million.

Airline Lufthansa had the best day on the Dax, gaining 3.29 percent to €21.28. Retailers saw gains.

German retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) was up 2.9 percent to €61.36, while Carrefour (Euronext: CA) added 3.39 percent to €52.14. The car and truck manufacturing sector was mixed.

In Paris, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC; PEUGY) dropped 0.34 percent to €60.70 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was the worst performer on the CAC-40 as it fell 2.34 percent to €97 after its CEO said that “unprecedented” growth would be needed if it is to meet its goals for 2009.

In Germany, however, Daimler Chrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was up 0.9 percent to €63.26 after it raised its profits forecast and announced a stock buyback that could be worth as much as €7.5 billion.

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) was 1.16 percent higher to €101.45.

Utilities declined on the session, with EDF (Euronext: EEN) 0.05 percent lower to €73.90 and Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) down 0.54 percent to €118.60.

European markets were mixed on the day.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.33 percent to 1,514.43, while in Paris the CAC-40 gained 0.38 percent to 5,590.54.

On the other hand, Madrid’s IBEX fell 0.2 percent to 14,305.5 while the Dax dropped 0.28 percent to 7,485.99 in Frankfurt.

Banks were higher.

Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was up 0.41 percent to €29.59 and Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was 0.55 percent higher to €91.53, while Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) added 0.95 percent to €27.75 and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) gained 1.02 percent to €78.50.

The automobile manufacturing sector also saw gains.

DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was up 0.1 percent to €63.12 after having been as much as 1.6 percent higher earlier in the session.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) added 0.68 percent to €150.06, while Renault gained 1.6 percent to €101.85 on a report that it will form a “strategic partnership” with General Motors’s (NYSE: GM) Opel division that is expected to save money for both companies.

On the other hand, truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) dropped 1.16 percent to €102.39.

Airlines were mixed, with Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) 0.79 percent higher to €29.44 but Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana down 1.8 percent to €3.24 after news that a bid from British Airways (LSE: BA; NYSE: BAB) and TPG Inc could be cut back. The semiconductors sector saw declines.

STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was down 0.24 percent to €12.40, while Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) fell 1 percent to €10.92.

Power generator and manufacturer Alstom (Euronext: ALO) gained 0.7 percent to €130.13 on the news that it won two new contracts to make power turbines for power plants in the UK an the United Arab Emirates.

European equities markets were higher Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 2.37 percent to 1,514.49.

In Frankfurt the Dax was 1.78 percent higher to 7,474.33, while Madrid’s IBEX added 1.92 percent to 14,731.8 and the Paris CAC-40 was up 2.21 percent to 5,569.28.

Car and truck manufacturers saw gains.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 3.24 percent to €59.57 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) gained 3.79 percent to €98.74 in Paris, while in Frankfurt DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was up to €62.45 and truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) gained 4.63 percent to €98.53.

Airlines were also higher, with Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) up 4.23 percent to €19.92 while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) added 5.04 percent to €30.

Chemicals group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) had the best day on the Dax with a gain of 5.15 percent to €15.71.

Meanwhile, the best performer on the CAC-40 was tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML), which was 5.35 percent higher to €88.81.

Other gainers included steel maker ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) with a gain of 3.82 percent to €39.65 on a broker upgrade from “hold” to “add”.

Property investor Unibail (Euronext: UL) turned in the worst performance on the CAC-40, dropping 1.96 percent to €170.77, while the worst day on the Dax was in the financial services sector as MLP (FWB: MLPB) - formerly Marschollek, Lautenschlager, and Partner - with a decline of 2.84 percent to €12.33.

Software manufacturer SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP) fell 0.53 percent to 39.29.

Food processor Groupe Danone (Euronext: BN; NYSE: DA) was 0.69 percent lower to €54.35, while drinks producer Pernon-Ricard (Euronext: RI) dropped 0.88 percent to €153.76.

Most European markets were lower Monday, with the major exception of Frankfurt’s Dax, which added 0.11 percent to 7,444.04 on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.85 percent to 1,504.27.

The IBEX dropped 0.7 percent to 14,432.1 in Madrid, while the Paris CAC-40 was 1.16 percent lower to 5,532.99.

Some banks were higher on the session.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) added 0.25 percent to €128.25 in Paris, while Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) gained 1.37 percent to €29.57 in Frankfurt.

Elsewhere in financial services, lender Dexia (Euronext: DEXB, DX) added 2.85 percent to €20.54 after it said it would address the issue of its exposure to the subprime market in a conference.

It was the first gain for the lender in 12 sessions, and the best performer on the day on the CAC-40.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) added 0.23 percent to €59.93.

Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) was up 1.95 percent to €35.99.

The best performer on the day on the Dax was chemicals group BASF (FWB: BAS; LSE: BFA; NYSE: BF), which added 1.98 percent to €93.68.

The worst performance on the Dax came from Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX), which fell 3.91 percent to €11.27 after it fired its CFO due to “irreconcilable differences”.

Michelin fell the most on the CAC-40, dropping 3.73 percent to €88.28.

Carmakers, meanwhile, were mixed.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC; VLKAY) added 1.44 percent to €140.90, but DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was down 2.04 percent to €64.39 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was 2.44 percent lower to €100.96.

In the oil sector, Total fell 2.01 percent to €53.61 as oil prices dropped and worries arose that demand will slow if the US economy falters.

European markets were significantly higher on Tuesday as they attempt to recover from last week’s declines.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 2.01 percent to 1,548.24.

The Dax was 1.71 percent higher to 7,584.14 in Frankfurt, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 1.85 percent to 5,751.08 and Madrid’s IBEX jumped 2.03 percent to 14,802.4.

Banks were mostly higher on the session.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 3.1 percent higher to €81.73, while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) gained 3.17 percent to €127.44 and Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) was up 3.24 percent to €28.35.

In Frankfurt, meanwhile, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) gained 4.02 percent to €100.62 but HypoVereinsbank (FWB: HVM) was down 0.23 percent to €42.84.

Airlines were higher, with Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) adding 3.07 percent to €33.29 and Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) gaining 3.36 percent to €20.65.

Car and truck makers also saw gains.

DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was 3.45 percent higher to €66.69, while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC; PEUGY) added 3.21 percent to €62.34 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was up 4.65 higher to €107.06 on a broker upgrade from ABN Amro (Euronext: AAB; NYSE: ABN).

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) was the day’s best performer on the Dax with a gain of 4.28 percent to €107.09.

Property investment company Unibail (Euronext: UL) had the best day on the CAC-40 as it added 5.88 percent to €175.30.

There were few declines on the day, but in the telecommunications sector Alcatel-Lucent fell 9.28 percent to €8.70 on a disappointing earnings report based on costs that were merger-related.

The worst performance on the Dax came from engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI), which was 1.63 percent lower to €93.71 after rumors circulated that it would issue more shares.

Most European markets saw declines for the second session in a row on Wednesday.

The major exception was Madrid’s IBEX, which added 0.16 percent to 14,937.7.

In Paris, the CAC-40 dropped 1.19 percent to 5,837.11, while the Dax was 1.46 percent lower to 7,692.55 in Frankfurt.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.92 percent to 1,571.04.

The biggest decliners on the day were in the semiconductors and engineering sectors.

Engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI) was down 5.98 percent to €99.34 in Frankfurt after it sold its auto parts unit for a price that was lower than had been anticipated and said at the same time that it will purchase American medical diagnostic products manufacturer Dade Behring Holdings (NAS: DADE) for $7 billion, a price analysts say is too high.

Siemens’ decline came even though it reported that its net income was up by 54 percent in its fiscal third quarter from the same period last year.

In Paris, meanwhile, STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) dropped 6.42 percent to €12.83 after it reported losses for the quarter.

The biggest winner on the Dax was Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG), which added 1.68 percent to €35.13 on news that the United States Congress is debating whether to expand Medicare dialysis coverage for senior citizens from 30 months to 42 months.

Meanwhile, media group Vivendi (Euronext: VIV) was the best performer on the CAC-40 with a gain of 1.51 percent to €32.27.

Carmakers were mixed on the session.

In Frankfurt, DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) added 1.81 percent to €67.15 after it reported profits that were higher than expected from its Mercedes unit.

On the other hand, Renault (Euronext: RNO) dropped 3.51 percent to €108.10 while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) fell 5.93 percent to €61.70 on profit-taking.

Truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) was also lower, dropping 2.45 percent to €106.07.

Most European markets were higher on Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.58 percent higher to 1,609.07.

In Madrid, the IBEX added 0.85 percent to 15,056.7, while the CAC-40 gained 0.87 percent to 6,009.16 in Paris and the Dax was 0.88 percent higher to 7,944.21 in Frankfurt.

Carmakers saw gains, with DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) up 2.73 percent to €66.82 ahead of its second quarter report.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) added 1.78 percent to €65.10 after a broker raised its target share price.

On the other hand, truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) dropped 0.31 percent to €107.20.

In a related sector, tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML) had the best day on the CAC-40 as it gained 2.75 percent to €104.73.

Meanwhile, the best performer on the Dax was software group SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP), which was 2.85 percent higher to €41.07 on rumors that it could be a target of private equity.

In energy-related sectors, utility Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) was up 1.42 percent to €41.40, while power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) gained 1.52 percent to €136.59.

In the oil sector, Total (Euronext: FP; NSYE: TOT) added 1.82 percent to €60.55.

The worst performances of the day came from Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX), which was 0.62 percent lower in Frankfurt to €12.87, and property company Unibail (Euronext: UL), which dropped 1.75 percent to €184.86 in Paris.

Other decliners included chemical group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA), which was 0.34 percent lower to €17.61.

IT services group Cap Gemini (Euronext: CAP) fell 0.55 percent to €55.64, while in the retail sector Carrefour (Euronext: CA) was down 0.19 percent to €53.26.

European markets saw big losses on the session Friday as investors worried about problems in the US housing sector.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.16 percent to 1,599.63. In Frankfurt the Dax was 1.46 percent lower to 7,874.85, while the CAC-40 fell 1.79 percent to 5,957.16 in Paris.

Madrid’s IBEX dropped 1.82 percent to 14,930.1.

The Dax and the CAC-40 each had only two gainers on the session.

The best performer on the Dax was in the pharmaceuticals sector, where Schering (FWB: SCH) added 0.28 percent to €104.83.

The other gainer there was Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY), which gained 0.21 percent to €121.79.

In Paris, meanwhile, the automobile manufacturing sector had the biggest winner of the day as Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 1.36 percent to €63.96.

Carmakers remained mixed, however, as DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) fell 2.47 percent to €65.16.

As on the Dax, the other gainer of the day on the CAC-40 was in the pharmaceuticals sector.

Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NSYE: SNY) was 0.32 percent higher to €62.46.

The worst performance came from steel good manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK), which was 4.89 percent lower to €216.18 on the news that it will sell two firms to Arcelor-Mittal (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT).

The construction sector in Paris was lower, with Vinci (Euronext: DG) down 2.48 percent to €55.77 and Lafarge (Euronext: LG) falling 3.64 percent to €126.75.

Banks also declined.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was 2.29 percent lower to €135.54, while Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was down 2.77 percent to €33.73 on concerns about the US housing market and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 2.99 percent to €84.24.

In the oil sector, Total (Euronext: FP; NSYE: TOT) fell 2.73 percent to €59.47.

European equities were lower on Wednesday, in some cases significantly lower on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.09 percent to 1,605.06.

In Madrid, the IBEX fell 0.63 percent to 15,058.6, while the Paris CAC-40 was 1.69 percent lower to 5,995.97 and the Dax dropped 1.8 percent to 7,893.61 in Frankfurt.

Carmakers were the worst performers both on the Dax and in Paris.

In Frankfurt, DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) dropped 3.09 percent to €66.51 for the worst performance on the Dax, with BMW (FWB: BMW) right behind it for the second worst of the day as it fell 2.54 percent to €39.07.

Meanwhile in Paris, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was the biggest loser, dropping 3.05 percent to €61.69.

Renault (Euronext: RNO) was also lower, falling 2.8 percent to €112.50.

The carmakers were hurt by the strength of the euro, which makes exports more expensive.

Also seeing declines were hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC), which was 2.95 percent lower to €68.10 after it reported low growth in the US.

Industrial gases group Linde (FWB: LIN) was down 2.48 percent to €87.28, while pharmaceuticals giant Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863) dropped 2.18 percent to €55.77.

On the other hand, Schering (FWB: SCH) was 0.08 percent higher to €104.27 as the only gainer on the Dax for the day.

There were only two gainers on the day in Paris.

Property group Unibail (Euronext: UL) was up 0.41 percent to €187.25, while drinks group Pernod-Ricard (Euronext: RI) had the best performance of the day on the 40, adding 0.59 percent to €164.59.

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.