In Europe, equities markets were higher on Wednesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.65 percent higher to 1,539.28. Frankfurt’s Dax was up 0.45 percent to 7,804.15, while the CAC-40 added 0.87 percent to 5,690.77 and the IBEX jumped 1.59 percent to 14,540.5 in Madrid.

Utilities saw gains.

In Frankkfurt, RWE (FWB: RWE) and Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NSYE: EON) both had their target share prices increased by JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634).

Eon was 1.26 percent higher to €129.44, while RWE was up 1.72 percent to €88.26.

EDF (Euronext: EEN) added 1.77 percent to €74.24 and Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) gained 2.43 percent to €40.88, while Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) jumped 2.98 percent to €35.99.

IT group Cap Gemini (Euronext: CAP) had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 5.93 percent to €42.70, while stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) turned in the best performance on the Dax as it added 3.44 percent to €96.86.

Banks were mixed, with BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) down 0.05 percent to €74.26 but Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) 1.68 percent higher to €21.21.

The automobile manufacturing sector was also mixed.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) dropped 0.33 percent to €57.11 while BMW (FWB: BMW) was up 3.37 percent to €38.16.

The chemicals sector declined in Frankfurt.

BASF (FWB: BFA; NYSE: BF) was 1.05 percent lower to €96.64, while Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) had the worst day on the Dax as it dropped 1.21 percent to €17.11.

Hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC) declined the most on the CAC-40 as it fell 0.68 percent to €60.19.

European markets were mixed on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up, but only by 0.01 percent, or one-fifth of a point, to 1,546.48.

Madrid’s IBEX added 0.32 percent to 14,497.6, but the Dax dropped 0.08 percent to 7,787.92 in Frankfurt, while the Paris CAC-40 fell 0.14 percent to 5,692.49.

Banks were lower after Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was expected to have to write off as much as €1.7 billion (£1.2 billion; $2.4 billion) because of its exposure in the current credit mess.

Deutsche Bank was down 1.8 percent to €90.24, while Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was the worst performer on the Dax as it dropped 4.34 percent to €28.44.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was 1.35 percent lower to €118.96, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) fell 2.27 percent to €75.32.

In the semiconductors sector, Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) was down 3 percent to €11.68.

Schneider Electric (Euronext: SCHN) was the worst performer on the CAC-40 as it fell 3.59 percent to €91.27 on a downgrade from Citigroup (NYSE: C).

Stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) had the best day on the Dax, adding 3.67 percent to €93.80, while utility EDF (Euronext: EEN) turned in the best performance on the CAC-40 with a gain of 2.86 percent to €72.56.

The steel sector saw gains.

ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; NYSE: THK) was up 0.82 percent to €44.43, while Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) was 1.53 percent higher to €54.95 and steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) gained 1.04 percent to €203.83.

Carmakers were also higher.

Renault (Euronext: RNO) was up 1.03 percent to €101.03, while BMW (FWB: BMW) added 3.64 percent to €37.03.

Equities markets in Europe were lower on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.63 percent to 1,539.89.

In Frankfurt the Dax was 0.19 percent lower to 7,735.09, while Madrid’s IBEX was down 0.47 percent to 14,427.1 and the Paris CAC-40 dropped 0.73 percent to 5,688.76.

Vinci (Euronext: DG) had the best day on the CAC-40, where the construction group added 1.12 percent to €53.19.

Also in the sector Bouygues (Euronext: EN), with interests in both construction and media, gained 0.22 percent to €60.

In the related building materials sector, however, Lafarge (Euronext: LG; NYSE: LR) dropped 2.28 percent to 109.90.

The worst performance on the CAC-40 came from the utilities sector, where EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 3.34 percent lower to €71.77, but the sector was mixed as RWE (FWB: RWE) added 0.8 percent to €86.28.

Retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) had the best day on the Dax as it gained 6.21 to €66.54.

Stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) was up 1.96 percent to €88.47.

The worst performance on the Dax came from financial planners MLP (FWB: MLP) with a decline of 2.79 percent to €9.78.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) dropped 2.04 percent to €92.38.

Airlines and carmakers were both lower.

Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was down 3.23 percent to €25.20, while Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was 1.5 percent lower to €19.66.

Carmaker BMW (FWB: BMW) dropped 1.42 percent to €34.49 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) fell 1.63 percent to €96.80.

European markets were lower on Monday as the subprime crisis continued to cause disturbances.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.32 percent to 1,487.28.

In Frankfurt, the Dax was 0.24 percent lower to 7,479.83, while Madrid’s IBEX fell 1.18 percent to 13,696.9 and the Paris CAC-40 was down 1.8 percent to 5,439.37.

There were only four gainers on the CAC-40, led by eyeglass lens and frame maker Essilor International (Euronext: EF), which gained 0.53 percent to €43.58.

Drinks group Pernod-Ricard was up 0.23 percent to €152.90.

The other two gainers were both utilities.

Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) added 0.15 percent to €38.90 and EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 0.46 percent higher to €74.14.

Utilities also saw gains on the Dax, where Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) gained 0.72 percent to €127.11 and RWE (FWB: RWE) was up 1.5 percent to €83.68.

The best performer on the Dax was stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse, which added 2.73 percent to €82.47.

Big decliners included, in Paris, Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext: ALU; NYSE: ALU; TYO: 6687) with a drop of 5.23 percent to €6.16 and financial planner MLP (FWB: MLP), which fell 3.66 percent to €10.37.

Others seeing declines included Deutsche Post (FWB: DPW; LSE: DPO) with a decline of 1.33 percent to €20.84.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) dropped 2.05 percent to 88.22.

Schneider Electric (Euronext: SCHN) was 5.02 percent lower to €87.83, while STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) fell 3.08 percent to €11.66.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.02 percent higher to 6,363.9 as European markets made gains on Thursday.

Madrid’s IBEX gained 0.7 percent to 14,077.8, the Dax added 0.84 percent to 7,535.97, and the Paris CAC-40 was up 1.05 percent to 5,565.97.

Steel-related shares were higher.

ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) gained 1.97 percent to €40.87, while Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) was up 4.6 percent to €48.20.

ThyssenKrupp’s gains came after it said it has won a new elevators contract in London and after ABN Amro (Euronext: AAB; NYSE: ABN) raised the steel-maker’s target share price.

Meanwhile, steel products manufacturer Vallourec was the best performer on the CAC-40 as it added 4.82 percent to €191.26.

Utilities were higher.

RWE (FWB: RWE) was 1.37 percent higher to €81.73, while EDF (Euronext: EEN) gained 1.54 percent to €72.40.

In the media sector, Vivendi (Euronext: VIV) was up 2.17 to €29.70 and Lagardere (Euronext: MMB) added 4.65 percent to €60.31.

The best performance on the day on the Dax came from stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1) which gained 3.33 percent to €81.07 after it said it would not buy into the London Stock Exchange.

On the negative side of the ledger, financial planner MLP (FWB: MLP) had the worst day on the Dax with a decline of 1.42 percent to €11.09.

The worst performance on the CAC-40 came from telecommunications group Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext: ALU; NYSE: ALU; TYO: 6687), which dropped 8.69 percent to €6.62.

Carmakers saw declines, with Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) falling 0.75 percent to €55.70 and BMW (FWB: BMW) down 0.97 percent to €34.75.

The semiconductors sector was also lower.

Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) dropped 0.42 percent to €11.76, while STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 2.98 percent lower to €12.06.

European markets were higher on the session, more than making up Monday’s declines.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 1.71 percent to 1,507.29.

The Dax was up 1.12 percent to 7,457.9 in Frankfurt, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 1.72 percent to 5,478.94 and Madrid’s IBEX was 1.74 percent higher to 13,965.5.

The CAC-40 and the Dax each only saw two stocks decline on the day.

In Paris, Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was 0.07 percent lower to €27.73, while Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext: ALU; NYSE: ALU; TYO: 6687) was the worst performer there with a decline of 0.54 percent to €7.30.

In Frankfurt, meanwhile, pharmaceuticals group Schering (FWB: SCH) dropped 0.09 percent to €104.46. Deutsche Post (FWB: DPW; LSE: DPO) had the worst day on the Dax as it fell 0.19 percent to €20.89.

The best performer on the Dax was stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1), which added 3.83 percent to €78.96.

Meanwhile power generator and manufacturer Alstom (Euronext: ALO) did the best on the CAC-40, where it gained 6.47 percent to €136.06.

Steel-related shares did well in Paris.

Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) was 3.35 percent higher to €46.64, while steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) was up 4.22 percent to €184.31.

Carmakers saw gains.

BMW (FWB: BMW) gained 2.14 percent to €35.62, while Renault (Euronext: RNO) added 3.43 percent to €92.80.

Chemicals group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) was 2.15 percent higher to €17.60.

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 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.

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.