European equities markets were higher on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 1.15 percent to 1,515.76.

In Madrid, the IBEX gained 0.92 percent to 14,313.4, while the Dax was up 1.09 percent to 7,519.94 in Frankfurt and the Paris CAC-40 was 1.31 percent higher to 5,592.53.

Utilities were up in Paris, with Suez (Euronet: SZE; NYSE: SZE) gaining 5.32 percent to €41 for the best performance on the CAC-40.

Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) was right behind, adding 3.84 percent to €35.40.

On the other hand, power generator and manufacturer Alstom (Euronext: ALO) dropped 0.05 percent to €128.96.

The best performance on the Dax came from retailer Metro (FWB: MEO), which added 4.54 percent to €64.26.

The semiconductors sector was higher.

Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) was up 2.9 percent to €11.02, while STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 3.72 percent higher to €12.65.

Industrial gases groups gained ground as well.

Air Liquide (Euronext AI) added 1.77 percent to €92.34 and Linde (FWB: LIN) gained 2.15 percent to €86.02.

Airlines were mixed.

Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was up 2.7 percent to €29.71, but Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) fell 0.37 percent to €21.31. Banks were also mixed.

Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) gained 2.31 percent to €2.31 to €27.51, while Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was 0.12 percent lower to €89.89.

Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) was the worst performer on the Dax, with a decline of 0.64 percent to €35.46.

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 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.

Most equities markets were higher in Europe on Thursday, but in Madrid the IBEX dropped 0.46 percent to 14,292.5.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.38 percent to 1,511.08, while the CAC-40 was up a bare 0.09 percent to 5,523.33 and the Dax gained 0.15 percent to 7,511.96 in Frankfurt.

Some carmakers were lower on the day.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was down 0.86 percent to €60.18 after it issued a recall for 240,000 cars, while Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) fell 1.2 percent to €149.62.

Chipmakers saw declines as STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) dropped 0.64 percent to €12.36 and Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) was 1.16 percent lower to €11.05.

Among banks, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was the biggest loser on the Dax as it fell 2.12 percent to €91.17.

In Paris, Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) dropped 0.65 percent to €27.52.

However, elsewhere within financial services, financial planner MLP (FWB: MLPG) had the best day on the Dax as it added 4.3 percent to €12.43.

Construction-related shares were higher, with construction materials group Lafarge (Euronext: LG; NYSE: LR) leading the CAC-40 as it added 2.2 percent to €113.48.

Builder Vinci was 1.24 percent higher to €51.63.

Other gainers on the day included Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1), which was up 2.74 percent to €81.53 on consolidation within the sector.

European markets were mixed Tuesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.15 percent lower to 1,479.61.

While the Dax and the CAC-40 were higher, by 0.23 percent to 7,424.75 and by 0.36 percent to 5,418.78 respectively, Madrid’s IBEX fell 0.21 percent to 14,239.8.

Credit Agricole (Euronext: AGA) was 0.26 percent lower to €27.82, while Spain’s Banco Santander (IBEX-35: SAN; NYSE: STD; LSE: BNC) dropped 0.5 percent to €13.39, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) fell 0.81 percent to €92.38, Banco Bilbao (IBEX-35: BBVA; NYSE: BBV) was down 1.1 percent to €16.80 and Dexia (Euronext: DEXB; Euronext: DX) dropped 1.76 percent to €19.59 for the worst performance of the day on the CAC-40.

Utilities were also lower.

EDF (Euronext: EEN) was down 0.66 percent to €70.40, while Eon (FWB: EOA; NYSE: EON; LSE: EON) fell 1.14 percent to €117.47. Power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) was 0.15 percent lower to €122.19.

The oil sector was down as oil prices fell as Hurricane Dean seemed to become less of a threat to Gulf of Mexico oil facilities.

Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) dropped 0.4 percent to €52.47, while Repsol (IBEX-35: REP) was 0.8 percent lower to €26.03.

Car and truck makers were mixed.

While Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) added 2.09 percent to €150.74, Renault (Euronext: RNO) fell 0.64 percent to €94.29 and Man (FWB: EDF1) was down 0.89 percent to €94.17.

The best performance on the day on the Dax came from drug maker Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863), which added 3.82 percent to €56.72 on continuing rumors that Novartis (NYSE: NVS) is about to make an offer.

Air France had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 3.66 percent to €28.30.

The retail sector saw gains in Paris.

Luxury goods retailer PPR (Euronext: PP), whose subsidiaries include Gucci, was 1.12 percent higher to €115.73, while Carrefour (Euronext: CA) added 1.65 percent to €48.79.

European equities markets saw gains on Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.54 percent higher to 1,481.43, with Madrid’s IBEX adding 0.22 percent to 14,269.1, the Dax up 0.4 percent to 7,407.53 in Frankfurt, and the Paris CAC-40 gaining 0.67 percent to 5,399.38.

Utilities were mostly higher.

The exception was RWE (FWB: RWE), which fell 1.2 percent to €80.72 in Frankfurt.

In Spain, Iberdrola (IBEX-35: IBE) added 0.6 percent to €39.27.

Among Paris-listed utilities Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) was 1.56 percent higher to €37.65 and EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 2.18 percent higher to €70.87, while power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 3.54 percent to €122.37.

The telecommunications sector was also higher.

Spain’s Telefonica (IBEX-35: TEF; Euronext: TEF; NYSE: TEF; LSE: TDE; FWB: TEF; TYO: 9481) was 0.4 percent higher to €17.43 on the news that its O2 unit in German will drop its Internet services fee to a flat monthly rate.

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext: ALU; NYSE: ALU; TYO: 6687) was up 1.81 percent to €7.87, while Deutsche Telekom (FWB: DTE; NYSE: DT; LSE: DEU; TYO: 9496) gained 2.12 percent to €13.45. The steel sector made gains.

ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) gained 2.05 percent to €40.88, while Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) was 3.43 percent higher to €41.28.

Banks were mixed.

While HypoVereinsbank (FWB: HVM) was 1.1 percent higher to €40.21, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was the worst performer on the Dax with a drop of 1.45 percent to €93.30.

On the CAC-40, Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) fell 0.18 percent to €117.95.

The worst performance on the session on the CAC-40, however, came from Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH), which fell 0.8 percent to €27.30.

Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) had the best day on the Dax with a gain of 3.51 percent to €79.75.

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.

Markets were also substantially lower in Europe on Thursday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 3.21 percent lower to 1,443.89.

The Dax dropped 2.36 percent to 7,270.07 in Frankfurt and the CAC-40 was down 3.26 percent to 5,265.47 in Paris.

In Madrid, the IBEX fell 3.68 percent to 13,986.4.

There were no winners on either the CAC-40 or the Dax on the session.

The biggest loser on the Dax was stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1), which was 6.57 percent lower to €75.13, while the worst performance on the CAC-40 came from steel tubes manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) at 7.93 percent lower to €171.85.

Car and truck makers fell substantially.

BMW (FWB: BMW) dropped 4.23 percent to €34.99, while Renault (Euronext: RNO) was 4.42 percent lower to €91.20 and truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) declined 6.38 percent to €96.07.

Builders and construction materials providers dropped in France.

Bouygues (Euronext: EN), which has holdings in both the construction sector and in media, was 4.36 percent lower to €50.88, while construction group Vinci (Eurnoext: DG) fell 4.48 percent to €46.70 and construction materials group Lafarge (Euronext: LG; NYSE: LR) dropped 5.09 percent to €108.43.

Property group Unibail (Euronext: UL) was down 5.9 percent to €161.50, while financial planners MLP (FWB: MLP) was down 4.17 percent to €11.50.

Among banks, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) fell 1.9 percent to €91.65 and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 3.1 percent to €74.67.

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.

European markets saw losses on Tuesday, led by declines in banks that are still beset by problems in the credit market.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.28 percent lower to 1,493.85.

In Frankfurt the Dax dropped 0.66 percent to 7,425.07, while the WIBEX was down 1.21 percent to 14,553.1 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 fell 1.63 percent to 5,478.66.

The banking sector was led lower as UBS (SWX: UBSN; NYSE: UBS;j TYO: 8657) warned that earnings by investment banks would be affected by recent market volatility in the second half.

While the Swiss bank reported better than anticipated results in the second quarter, it said that if current conditions persist its second half could be weak.

After its warning, UBS dropped 3.9 percent to SFr63.50.

Banks were the three biggest losers of the session on the CAC-40.

Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) fell 2.77 percent to €27.03, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 3.48 percent lower to €78.18 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) dropped 4.59 percent to €119.00.

Spanish bank Banco Santander (IBEX-35: SAN; LSE: BNC; NYSE: STD) was 1.7 percent lower to €13.52.

In Frankfurt, meanwhile, Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was down 1.47 percent to €29.37, while Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NSYE: DB) fell 2.9 percent to €94.33.

The biggest loser on the Dax, however, was Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG), which was down 2.99 percent to €35.12.

Steelmaker ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TK; LSE: THK) was the best performer on the Dax as it added 2.22 percent to €40.34 on an upgrade from “neutral” to “outperform” from Credit Suisse (SWX: CSGN; NYSE: CS), which also raised the steel group’s target share price from €42 to €47.

There were only four gainers on the day on the CAC-40, with hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC) leading the way with a gain of 0.69 percent to €59.44.

The semiconductors sector was higher, with STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) 0.16 percent higher to €12.60 and Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) up 0.45 percent to €11.17.