The European equities markets were up again on Thursday as bids rumors continue to circulate in a number of sectors. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.1 percent on the session to 1,398.00.

In the utilities sector, Endsea dropped 1.8 percent to €34.39 after Eon raised its bid in response to Spanish conglomerate Acciona’s purchase of 10 percent of Endsea. Acciona fell 0.1 percent to €119.90 and Eon dropped 0.3 percent to €92.65. Meanwhile Gas Natural, which is also said to be interested in Endsea, declined by 2.7 percent to €29.38.

In the semiconductors sector, STMicroelectronics was 3.1 percent higher to €13.75 on talk that it could receive bids from private equity, even though it would be a difficult purchase due to its 28 percent ownership by the Italian and French governments. That was the factor cited by Cantor Fitzgerald Euorpe as it downgraded STM to “sell into strength”. Elsewhere in the sector, Infineon dropped 5.6 percent after it was reported that Taiwan company BenQ’s German handset unit will file for insolvency soon. Infineon is one of BenQ’s largest suppliers.

Among car and truck makers, MAN added 3.8 percent to €65.68 after it was said that Volkswagen could offer for the company. MAN has been trying to purchase Scania, the Swedish truck maker in which VW owns a major share, but VW’s chief executive has said he favors a deal that involves his company as well. VW dropped 0.1 percent on the news to €67.55, but Scania added 1.4 percent to SKr439. Elsewhere in the sector, Renault was 0.8 percent higher to €90.55 on positive broker comments, while Peugeot dropped 2.8 percent to €44.57 on lower sales volumes in July and August.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.4 percent higher on Tuesday to 1,389.25, its highest close in over four months. Mergers and acquisitions again furnished most of the action, joined by gains in the oil sector after crude oil prices rose a bit overnight.

The proposed Scania/MAN merger again made news as Volkswagen, the largest shareholder in Scania, came out against the deal. VW’s chief executive criticized the proposed deal and suggested an alternative one which would involve not only MAN and Scania, but VW’s Brazilian truck business as well. When all was said and done, Scania and Investor, it’s second largest shareholder were lower on the session, but both VW and MAN saw gains.

Investor dropped 1.3 percent to SKr152.50, while Scania’s A shares were 6.2 percent lower and the Swedish truck maker’s B shares declined 7.8 percent to SKr432 and SKr421.50 respectively. Volkswagen added 1 percent to €66.65, while MAN was 1.4 percent higher to €62.55.

In the utilities sector, meanwhile, Acciona purchased 10 percent of Endsea on Monday and said that it might make a further purchase. This move put the Endsea/Eon merger in question, which has been in the works since the beginning of the year, when Eon bid €27 billion in cash for Endsea. Also affecting the merger was a ruling from the European Commission which held that Spain had violated EU in certain conditions it put on Eon’s acquisition of Endsea.

While Eon said that the ruling strengthened its determination to pursue the deal, the German utility’s shares dropped 2 percent to €94.09. Acciona added 5.1 percent to €117.35, while Endsea gained 10.5 percent to €32.50. Elsewhere, Gas Natural was up 5.6 percent to €28.66 as it repeated its own hope to buy Endsea.

In the oil sector, OMV was 1.7 percent higher to €37.89, while Statoil added 3.6 percent to NKr152.50.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 saw gains every day this week, ending with an 0.7 percent advance on Friday to 1,344.17. Over the week, the Eurofirst added 4.2 percent, the biggest weekly gain since March 2003.

Utilities did well, especially with Spain’s provisional approval of the merger of Endsea and Eon, which added 11.4 percent to €26.85 and 10 percent to €96.11 respectively. Among the conditions imposed by regulators for the deal to proceed were that Eon will be required to sell all their coal-fired power plants that use Spanish coal, as well as all nuclear plants that are wholly owned by Endsea. On rumors that Gas Natural could rejoin the bidding, it gained 10.4 percent to €25.62 over the week.

Most companies in the European automobile manufacturing sector advanced over the week as they turned in quarterly reports that were better than had been expected. The exception was Peugeot, which fell 8.6 during the week to €41.37 after it issued yet another warning on profits, its third this year. Goldman Sachs downgraded Peugeot from “buy” to “neutral”.

Otherwise, carmakers did well. DaimlerChrysler was up 7.4 percent to €40.46 on outstanding performance of its Mercedes division. The news brought a reconfimation of Deutsche Bank’s “buy” rating on the shares. Renault added 9.3 percent this week to €86.20 when its profits fell less than had been expected. Volkswagen’s report showed that its operating profits were up by 50 percent in the quarter, helping reduce worries about higher costs for raw materials. West LB increased its targets share price for VW from €49 to €53, and the carmaker’s shares were 12.9 percent higher over the week to €58.97.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 1.1 percent to 1,334.69 on Thursday, its fourth daily gain in a row and its highest closing figure in over two months. The Eurfirst has risen 8.5 percent since the middle of June. Much of the gains were credited to quarterly reports.

Utilities were up as it was announced that energy regulators in Spain have provisionally given their approval to the takeover of Endsea by Eon. Endsea added 4.3 percent to €26.22 and Eon was up 5.1 percent to €94.75. Gas Natural, which had also made a bid for Endsea, gained 3.5 percent to €24.68.

The automobile manufacturing sector saw gains related to quarterly results that were better than had been expected. DaimlerChrysler was 1.8 percent higher to €39.56 on its report of a rise of 11 percent in operating profits in the second quarter even though its Chrysler unit in the US did not do well. Volkswagen saw its operating profits rise by almost 50 percent. The report sent shares in VW up 8.8 percent on the session to €59.45.

Elsewhere among carmakers, Renault added 3.8 percent to €84.75 and BMW was up 2.9 percent to €39.80. Peugeot gained back 1 percent to €41.40 after yesterday’s loss on a less than favorable quarterly report.

Among losers, France Telecom dropped 1.5 percent to €16.36 on a warning that it would not meet its full-year underlying sales growth target.

In Europe on Wednesday the equities markets saw advances, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 up 0.7 percent to 1,289.1 and Germany’s Xetra Dax adding 0.8 percent to 5,543.93. The Dax was helped by an announcement by Deutsche Borse that it will make it easier for companies to list on the Dax. The change means that that companies will not need to be registered in Germany to list there, but only must be headquartered there.

European aerospace company EADS has said it would pursue a listing on the Dax, sending its shares up 4.1 percent to €26.75. EADS has headquarters in both Paris and Munich.

Utilities were up on the day, largely on mergers and acquisitions issues. In the utilities sector, Suez, working on a merger with Gaz de France, was up 3.3 percent to €30.15 after Enel of Italy said that it was still interested in pursuing a deal with Suez. Enel gained 0.9 percent to €7.12, while Gaz de France added 0.2 percent to €26.43.

Endsea, the Spanish electrical group, was up 2 percent to €26.20 after Credit Suisse raised its target share price from €28.50 to €29.50. Gas Natural, a Spanish rival, and Eon of German are currently in a bidding battle over Endsea.

In the telecommunications sector, France Telecom said it will sell its 54 percent share in PagesJaunes, a directory publisher. The sale will raise up to €3.4 billion for FT, which is rumored to be in talks, joined by private equity group Carlyle, to purchase Austrian mobile company One. Other rumors have FT interested in purchasing a stake in Belgium’s Mobistar. All the talk sent PagesJaunes 1.1 percent higher to €22.77, while France Telecom added 2.3 percent to €17.60.

In Europe on Tuesday the FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.2 percent to 1,347.58, with the telecommunications and pharmaceuticals sectors helping out substantially. Utilities were also up.

Spanish utility Endsea released its first-quarter report, showing core profits that were up 31 percent. Growth in Europe and Latin America was credited with the improvement, sending shares in Endsea up 1 percent on the day to €26.55. Gas Natural and Eon, both interested in acquiring Endsea, were up 0.3 percent to €213.96 and 0.4 percent to €89.95 respectively.

Among pharmaceuticals companies, Sanofi-Aventis added 2.8 percent to €75.70. Roche and Novartis were each up by 2.2 percent, with Roche at SFr214.60 and Novartis at SFr69.50. The gains for Novartis came on news that tests in the United States have shown that its drug Exelon is helpful in treating dementia related to Parkinson’s disease.

It was the second day in a row for gains in the telecommunications sector. Hellenic Telecom was the biggest gain in the sector, adding 3.5 percent to €18.60. It is expected to bid for the shares of Mobi63 owned by the government of Serbia when those shares are auctioned in July. Deutsche Telekom, also likely to bid on the shares, was up 0.5 percent to €13.05. Elsewhere in fixed-line telecoms, Swisscom was up 1.3 percent to SFr405, while France Telecom rose by 1.5 percent to €17.49 on an upwardly revised revenue forecast from Bear Stearns.

Mobile telecoms also saw gains. Telnor gained 2.9 percent to NKr80.75, while Cosmote added 2.6 percent to €19.68.

In the oil sector, OMV of Austria dropped 5.7 percent to €45.13 despite a 24 percent rise in first-quarter profits when lower refining margins kept profits below levels that had been predicted.

In mid-afternoon trade on Thursday the European equities markets were mixed, with the Eurofirst and Xetra Dax up slightly but the CAC-40 down just a bit. Once again, activity in the utilities sector was one of the driving forces behind the gains and losses.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.1 percent in the middle of the afternoon session to 1,360.82. The Xetra Dax gained 0.3 percent to 5,885.43. In Paris, however, the CAC-40 dropped 0.2 percent to 5,066.38.

Over the weekend, the French government approved the merger between the Franco-Belgian Suez and state-owned Gaz de France in a €73 billion dollar deal. Technically, Gaz de France is acquiring Suez, but the state-owned portion of the new company will be under 40 percent. The approved merger sent shares in both companies down, with Gaz de France losing 1.7 percent to €29.28 after rising earlier in the day. Suez lost 4.5 percent to €32.36.

Elsewhere in the sector, Gas Natural was up 1 percent to €26.17, Endsea lost 0.1 percent to €28.32, and Eon dropped 0.1 percent as well, to €94.69 as it was reported that the directors of Gas Natural in Spain had met over the weekend to decide whether to match Eon’s larger counteroffer for Endsea. Meanwhile, EDF was up 4.6 percent to €46.51 when Morgan Stanley raised its target share price for the French electricity provider from €40 to €50.

In the energy sector, Italian group ERG was up 1.2 percent to €20.30 as JP Morgan issued an initial rating of “overweight” for the company with a target share price of €23. Oilfield services company Saipem was up 11.8 percent to €18.07 ahead of its full year earnings report and after purchasing Eni’s engineering unit, Snamprogetti.

European equities markets were up in mid-afternoon trade on Friday, with the FTSE Eurofirst up 0.2 percent to 1,358.08. Additionally, Germany’s Xetra Dax was up 0.1 percent to 5,861.5 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.4 perent to 5,062.2

Companies related to food production and sales were mixed on the day. Danone was up 2 percent to €96.95 on an upgrade from “equalweight” to “overweight” from Morgan Stanley coupled with a new share price target of €108. Earnings growth for the company was predicted to reach the mid-teens in the next two years. Food retailer Ahold, the fourth largest in the world, was also up, by 1.3 percent to €6.99 as it said it is thinking of making significant acquisitions for the first time since it nearly went bankrupt three years ago. Numico, however, lost 3.1 percent to €35.99 on a downgrade to “in-line” by Goldman Sachs on the basis of its cautious outlook statement.

In the related brewing sector, Inbev was down 3.1 percent to €36.54 despite full year earnings reports which showed operating profits coming in slightly above predictions at €3.33 billion, with growth at 15.3 percent.

The utilities sector was still seeing bid rumours. Endsea, a bid target for Eon, was up 0.6 percent to €26.24. In new rumors, Gaz de France and Suez are said to be thinking of forming an alliance to repel a bid for Suez by Enel of Italy. Gaz de France gained 2.6 percent to €29.35 and Suez was up 4.1 percent to €33.32, while Enel dropped 0.7 percent to €7.12.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Sanofi Aventis gained 0.5 percent to €72.45 despite announcing that the launch of its anti-obesity treatement in the United States could be put off until later in the year. The drug company’s full-year report showed that net profits were up by 25.7 percent to €6.34 billion, and it said that its earnings should grow by about 10 percent this year.

In Europe on Thursday the equities markets fell, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 declining by 0.2 percent to 1,355.46. Banking and retail were up on the day, but utilities were mixed and foods were down.

Among bankers DnB Nor, Norway’s largest bank, was up 0.9 percent to NKr81.50 after a strong performance in its brokerages led to a 28 percent leap in pre-tax profits in the fourth quarter.

German retailer Metro was up 4 percent to €43.90 on reports that German business confidence was at a 14-year high. Elsewhere in the retail sector, France’s Carrefour turned a comment by Deutsche Bank that its stock was undervalued into a gain of 3.1 percent to €40.86.

In the utilities sector, bid rumours continued but not to the huge benefit of companies in the sector as earlier in the week. Gas Natural was up 2.6 percent to €24.90 when Spanish construction company FCC said it would think about joining in a bid for Endsea. While Gas Natural gained on the talk, FCC dropped 0.4 percent to €57.10 and Endsea declined by 0.7 percent to €28.06. French utility Suez, gained 7 percent early in the day on rumors that it might be a takeover target by Enel, but by the end of the day Suez was only up 0.3 percent to €32. Elsewhere in the sector, EDF was up 1.5 percent to €42.47 on an announcement that its net profits had doubled, while RWE dropped 2.7 percent to €72.60 after issuing a statement saying that operating profits in 2006 would likely only grow by 5 to 10 percent.

Nestle was down by 3.3 percent to SFr386.50 despite a report of net profits in line with expectations and up 20.7 percent from 2004s figures. One analysts said that the profits report showed Nestle’s strength and that share prices do not reflect that strength, while Nestle’s chief executive put down reports that the company could be interested in bidding for Danone or Numico. Numico, meanwhile, dropped 1.7 percent to €37.13 as it announced disappointing results on fourth quarter sales, especially in baby food.

European equities markets were up on Wednesday, helped significantly by good news in the breweries sector. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.3 percent to 1,353.84, while Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax was up 0.5 percent to 5,828.65 and France’s CAC 40 was up 0.6 percent to 5,022.35.

Utilities, which were up on Tuesday over bid rumors, saw declines as German utility Eon’s bid for Spain’s Endsea has already come in for criticism from the Spanish government and analysts say that regulators will examine the deal carefully before approving it. Endsea was down 0.2 percent to €27.49 and Eon dropped 0.1 percent to €95.62.

Other losses on the day included chemical group BASF, down 0.1 percent to €62.94 after disclosing that its fourth-quarter earnings were lower than had been expected. Also, in the auto sector, DaimlerChrysler dropped 1.5 percent to €46.56 on a downgrade from “outperform” to “neutral” from Credit Suisse. Irish telecommunications company Eircom was also down on the day on confirmation that Australian investment company Babcock & Brown Capital has approached Eircom about a takeover bid. Eircom dropped 0.6 percent to €2.19.

The breweries had a much better day of it. Heineken gained 3.8 percent on the day to €30.67 after it reported that its full-year profits were up 18.5 percent to €761 million on a 5.3 percent rise in the volume of beer sales. Meanwhile, Dutch brewer Grolsch gained 17.4 percent to €28.0 after it signed a US distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch, a move which gained Grolsch an upgrade to “buy” from Rabo Bank.

Also seeing a gain on the day was cement company Holcim, the world’s largest. Holcim saw its share rise by 3.2 percent to SFr102.30 when UBS raised its target price from SFr107 to SFr123 and repeated its “buy” recommendation due to what it called the company’s growth potential in emerging markets and a positive outlook in US markets.