European markets saw declines on Wednesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.56 percent lower to 1,549.26.

In Frankfurt the Dax dropped 0.18 percent to 7,828.96 and in Paris the CAC-40 was down 0.53 percent to 5,674.67, while Madrid’s IBEX fell 1.29 percent to 15,231.3.

Banks were hurt by the report on Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) writedowns.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was 0.7 percent lower to €87.24, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was down 1.4 percent to €73.45 and Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) dropped 1.51 percent to €21.48.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) fell 1.78 percent to €111.82, UBS (SWX: USBN; NYSE: UBS; TYO: 8657) was 1.8 percent lower to SFr62.65, and Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was down 2.76 percent to €28.38.

Truck makers were mixed.

Man (FWB: EDF1) dropped 1.69 percent to €120.43, while Volvo (OMXS: VOLV A, VOLV B; NAS: VOLV) added 5.2 percent to kr122 on a higher production estimate.

Carmakers were higher, with Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) adding 1.66 percent to €172.62 after a change in the law made it more likely that Porsche (FWB: POR3) will make a full-on takeover bid.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 0.11 percent to €56.54.

Utilities were up in Frankfurt.

Eon (FWB: EOA; NYSE: EON; LSE: EON) was 1.34 percent higher to €133.03, while RWE (FWB: RWE) gained 1.62 percent to €94.64.

Markets were lower in Europe on the session Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.3 percent lower to 1,580.11.

In Paris, the CAC-40 dropped 0.24 percent to 5,829.4, while the Dax was down 0.35 percent to 7,974.37.

Madrid’s IBEX fell 0.56 percent to 14,809.

Software company SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP) dropped 4.04 percent to €39.83 after it said it would pay €4.9 billion for rival Business Objects (Euronext: BOB; NAS: BOBJ), which gained 17 percent to €41.07.

On the other hand, Alstom (Euronext: ALO) was the biggest gainer on the CAC-40, adding 2.39 percent to €152.77 on the news that builder Bouygues (Euronext: EN) had raised its stake in the manufacturer and power generator, spurring speculation that a takeover is in the works.

Banks were mixed.

While Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) added 0.53 percent to €22.79, BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was down 0.74 percent to €81.80 and Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) dropped 1.18 percent to €28.42.

Utilities were mixed as well, with EDF (Euronext: EEN) 0.65 percent higher to €74.56 but Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) falling 0.72 percent to €41.41.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) had the best day on the Dax as it added 1.94 percent to €171.45.

Elsewhere in the sector, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 0.37 percent to €60.16.

The biggest decliner on the Dax was financial planners MLP (FWB: MLP), which dropped 4.36 percent to €10.95, while Air France (Euronext AF; NYSE: AKH) had the worst day on the CAC-40 as it fell 2.98 percent to €28.29.

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.

In Europe, equities markets managed gains on Friday, but not always enough to gain back Thursday’s losses.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.47 percent to 1,546.53.

In Paris the CAC-40 gained 0.21 percent to 5,700.65, while Madrid’s IBEX was 0.22 percent higher to 14,459 and the Dax was 0.77 percent higher to 7,794.43 in Frankfurt.

Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was the best performer on the Dax with a gain of 4.13 percent to €29.31, but the banking sector was mixed as Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) dropped 0.98 percent to €21.31.

Meanwhile on the CAC-40, Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) topped the leaders, adding 3.72 percent to €54.12.

Elsewhere in the sector, ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) was up 2.91 percent to €44.23.

Steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) was 2.36 percent higher to €201.74.

Carmakers saw gains.

BMW (FWB: BMW) added 2.97 percent to €35.73, while Renault (Euronext: RNO) climbed 3.31 percent to €100.

On the other hand, truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) was 1.36 percent lower to €104.96.

The worst performer on the day on the CAC-40 came from drinks maker Pernod-Ricard (Euronext: RI), which added 2.5 percent to €147.76.

Pharmaceuticals group Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863) had the best day on the Dax with a gain of 4.23 percent to €56.55.

Utilities were lower on the session.

RWE (FWB: RWE) was 0.52 percent lower to €86.22, while Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) was down 0.77 percent to €34.88 and EDF (Euronext: EEN) dropped 1.71 percent to €70.54.

Airlines saw losses again. Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) slipped 0.56 percent to €19.52, while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) fell 1.87 percent to €24.73.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.84 percent lower to 1,482.25 as European markets declined on Monday.

In Paris the CAC-40 fell 0.8 percent to 5,386.43, while the Dax dropped 0.82 percent to 7,375.44 in Frankfurt.

Madrid’s IBEX was 1.06 percent lower to 13,726.3. Banks led both the CAC-40 and the Dax.

HypoVereinsbank (FWB: HVM) added 0.62 percent to €40.82 in Frankfurt, while in Paris Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) was up 1.27 percent to €20.79.

Energy-related shares were higher.

Oil company Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) gained 0.22 percent to €54.54, while utility Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) was 0.56 percent higher to €119.69 and power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) was up 0.87 percent to €127.79.

The car and truck manufacturing sector was mixed.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) gained 0.39 percent to €150.04 and Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) added 0.63 percent to €56, but truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) dropped 1.45 percent to €98.66.

Retailers were mixed as well, with Metro (FWB: MEO) 0.61 percent higher to €60.61 but Carrefour (Euronext: CA) down 1.78 percent to €46.99.

The steel sector was lower on the session.

ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) was 2.02 percent lower to €39.77 and Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) fell 2.9 percent to €45.13, while steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) was down 2.89 percent to €176.84.

Bouygues (Euronext: EN), with interest in both media and construction, was the worst performer on the CAC-40 as it fell 2.97 percent to €44.17.

In a related sector, construction materials group Lafarge (Euronext: LG; NYSE: LR) was down 1.49 percent to €105.90. Meanwhile, financial planners MLP (FWB: MLP) had the worst day on the Dax with a drop of 2.11 percent to €11.18.

European markets declined on Wednesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.69 percent lower to 1,523.24.

In Frankfurt, the Dax dropped 1.73 percent to 7,588.03, while the Paris CAC-40 fell 2.14 percent to 5,551.55 and the IBEX was down 2.31 percent to 14,252.5 in Madrid.

There was only one winner on the CAC-40, in the banking sector, where Dexia (Euronext: DEXB; Euronext: DX; LuxSE: DXB) added 0.19 percent to €20.93.

Meanwhile, the Dax saw only two gainers on the day.

HypoVereinsbank (FWB: HVM) was 0.57 percent higher to €40.45, while chemicals group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) had the best performance there with a gain of 1.61 percent to €17.73.

Carmakers were lower, with Renault (Euronext: RNO) turning in the worst performance on the CAC-40 with a drop of 4.09 percent to €95.00.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was the second-biggest loser of the day in Paris as it fell 3.89 percent to €57.13 after it said it could cut as many as 8,000 jobs by the end of the year.

Airlines were also lower.

Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was down 2.77 percent to €21.12, while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) dropped 3.26 percent to €29.70.

In the banking sector, Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) fell 2.93 percent to €118.40.

Among pharmaceuticals groups, Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863) was 2.53 percent lower to €57.20 on the announcement that it would delist from the New York Stock Exchange.

Aerospace group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) was 3.01 percent lower to €21.26.

European markets were higher on Tuesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.62 percent to 1,548.76.

The IBEX was 0.3 percent higher to 14,590.1 in Madrid, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 0.38 percent to 5,672.72 and Frankfurt’s Dax was up 0.96 percent to 7,721.77.

Property investment and management group Unibail (Euronext: UL) had the best day on the CAC-40, adding 4.3 percent to €185.40.

Meanwhile, chemicals group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) was the best performer on the Dax with a gain of 3.02 percent to €17.43.

Banks saw gains.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 1.2 percent higher to €78.30, while Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) gained 2.8 percent to €30.94.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was up 1.21 percent to €121.97, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE DB) added 2.92 percent to €94.16, and Dexia (Euronext: DEXB) was 2.86 percent higher to €20.89.

Other gainers on the day included oil group Total (Euronext: FT; NYSE: TOT), which gained 0.98 percent to €55.37.

In the semiconductors sector, STMicroelectronics added 1.64 percent to €13.02, while healthcare group Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) was 1.63 percent higher to €36.07.

Carmakers were lower on the session.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) had the worst day on the Dax, where it dropped 0.5 percent to €152.11, while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) put in the worst performance on the CAC-40 with a decline of 3.63 percent to €59.44.

Renault also declined, falling 0.88 percent to €99.05.

Utilities lost ground as weel, with Suez dropping 1.61 percent to €39.71 and Gaz de France ending at €35, a decline of 2.26 percent after the two said that they had agreed to new terms regarding their merger.

European markets were mostly higher, but the Dax dropped 0.06 percent to 7,507.27 in Frankfurt.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.34 percent.

In Madrid, IBEX was up 0.29 percent to 14,334.4 while the Paris CAC-40 gained 0.83 percent to 5,569.38.

Banks and other financials service groups saw declines on the session.

Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) fell 0.11 percent to €27.49, while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was down 0.33 percent to €119.24, Dexia (Euronext: DEXB; Euronext: DX) dropped 0.5 percent to €19.86 and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was down 0.88 percent to €77.71 for the worst performance on the CAC-40.

Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was 1.01 percent lower to €29.40.

Insurer Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) fell 0.92 percent to €157.22, while financial planner MLP (FWB: MLPG) had the worst day on the Dax with a decline of 2.67 percent to €12.02.

Truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) was the best performer on the Dax, adding 4.46 percent to €103.59.

Elsewhere in motor vehicle manufacturing, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) gained 1.55 percent to €61.11.

Other gainers included cement maker Lafarge, which was up 1.42 percent to €115.09, helped by a US Commerce Department report that showed new home sales gained 2.8 percent in July over the previous month.

In the oil sector, Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) added 1.39 percent to €54.14 and Saipem (ISE: SPM) gained 3.9 percent to €26.33 as crude oil prices saw gains.

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.

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.