European markets declined on Friday, hurt by bank troubles in the UK.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.07 percent lower to 1,508.11. The Paris CAC-40 dropped 0.49 percent to 5,538.92 and the Dax was down 0.51 percent to 7,497.74 in Frankfurt, while Madrid’s IBEX fell 1.54 percent to 13,861.

Banks on the continent were lower, with Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) leading the losers on the Dax with a decline of 4.05 percent to €27.20.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 1.5 percent to €73.72 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was 2.22 percent lower to €113.50.

IT services group Cap Gemini (Euronext: CAP) was the worst performer on the CAC-40 as it fell 3.93 percent to €41.51.

In the retail sector Metro (FWB: MEO) was 2.25 percent lower to €61.67, while Carrefour (Euronext: CA) dropped 1.28 percent to €48.47.

Air carrier Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was down 1.81 percent to €19.51.

Gainers on the session included utilities.

Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) added 0.76 percent to €126.27, while RWE (FWB: RWE) gained 0.83 percent to €82.52.

Suez (Eurofirst: SZE; NYSE: SZE) was up 1.41 percent to €38.84, EDF (Eurofirst: EEN) was 1.93 percent higher to €73.80, and Gaz de France advanced 2.26 percent to €34.34.

Manufacturer and power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 2.37 percent to €143.32.

Carmakers were mixed on the session.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) added 0.28 percent to €152.32, but Renault (Euronext: RNO) dropped 1.42 percent to €92.76.

European markets were higher Wednesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.22 percent to 1,510.28.

Madrid’s IBEX was 0.11 percent higher to 13,980.4, while the Dax gained 0.2 percent to 7,472.99 and the CAC-40 was up 0.53 percent to 5,508.01.

The best performer on the CAC-40 was media and construction conglomerate Bouygues (Euronext: EN) with a gain of 4.21 percent to €59.45 on possible interest from an Egyptian telecommunications company and possible contracts news.

Healthcare group Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) had the best day on the Dax as it added 3.2 percent to €37.28.

Other gainers included property developer and investor Unibail (Euronext: UL), which was 1.87 percent higher to €174.18.

Foods manufacturer Groupe Danone (Euronext: BN; NYSE: DA) was up 1.65 percent to €55.37.

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) advanced 1.68 percent to €102.04, but carmakers did not do as well.

Peugeot (Euronext UG; OTC: PEUGY) fell 0.76 percent to €56.12, while BMW (FWB: BMW) was down 1.57 percent to €34.82.

Utilities were mixed on the session.

Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) was up 1.91 percent to €123.76, but Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) dropped 0.56 percent to €33.46.

Banks were also mixed.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) added 0.9 percent to €74.18 but Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was 1.12 percent lower to €28.10.

The semiconductors sector was down on the session.

STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) fell 0.8 percent to €12.43, while Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) was down 1.83 percent to €11.84.

Airlines were the biggest losers on both the Dax and the CAC-40.

Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) dropped 3.45 percent to €19.84 and Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was 3.35 percent lower to €26.80.

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 were higher again Friday, helped by talk of a plan to allow the US Federal Housing Authority to guarantee loans for delinquent subprime mortgage holders so that they can refinance their loans at better rates and avoid foreclosure, on the theory that the plan will help relieve chaos in the mortgage marked and improve consumer confidence.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 1.12 percent to 1,532.34. Madrid’s IBEX added 1.16 percent to 14,479.8, while the CAC-40 gained 1.25 percent to 5,662.7 and the Dax was 1.57 percent higher to 7,638.17.

In the retail sector, luxury goods group PPR (Euronext: PPR) had the best day on the CAC-40 as it added 4.14 percent to €126.90.

The top spot on the Dax, meanwhile, was taken by chipmaker Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX), which gained 3.72 percent to €11.44 after US computer maker Dell (NAS: DELL; SEHK: 4331) reported strong results.

Other gainers included engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI), which was 2.47 percent higher to €91.93.

Utilities were mixed.

Suez (Eurofirst: SZE; NYSE: SZE) added 1.8 percent to €41.74, while Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) gained 2.48 percent to €123.17 and Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) was up 3.95 percent to €36.80.

On the other hand, EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 0.75 percent lower to €74.12.

There were only two other losers on the CAC-40 on the session.

Retailer Carrefour (Euronext: CA) fell 1.5 percent to €51.37, while media group Vivendi (Euronext: VIV) had the worst day on the CAC-40 with a decline of 1.74 percent to €30.01 on slow earnings growth.

Retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) was the worst performer on the Dax with a delcine of 1.01 percent to €63.44.

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 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 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 their biggest losses in five years On Thursday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 2.62 percent to 1,530.56.

Among continental markets, the Dax was 2.39 percent lower to 7,508.96, while the IBEX was down 2.66 percent to 14,540.4 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 fell 2.78 percent to 5,675.05.

There were no winners reported on the CAC-40, while the best performance on the Dax came from electricity and natural gas utility RWE (FWB: RWE) only amounted to a gain of 1.49 percent to €79.52.

Elsewhere on the Dax, rival utility Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) was 0.38 percent higher to €117.26.

The chemicals sector was also a bit higher in Frankfurt as BASF (FWB: BFA; NYSE: BF) added 0.26 percent to €95.07 and Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) gained 0.7 percent to €17.35.

Car and truck makers were lower on the session.

BMW (FWB: BMW) was 2.62 percent lower to €36.73 and truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) fell 2.74 percent to €103.43, while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was down 4.28 percent to €59.06 and Renault (Eurofirst: RNO) dropped 4.83 percent to €102.88.

The worst performer on the CAC-40 was tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML), which fell 6.07 percent to €93.56.

Other decliners included hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC), which was 4.75 percent lower to €62.95.

Construction group Vinci (Euronext: DG) was down 4.93 percent to €52.60, while drinks maker Pernod-Ricard (Euronext: RI) dropped 5.18 percent to €152.59.

The European markets saw significant declines on Tuesday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.4 percent to 1,587.23.

The least of the losers in terms of percentage was the IBEX, which was down 0.98 percent to 14,909.7 in Madrid.

In Paris the CAC-40 was 1.69 percent lower to 5,907.47, while the Dax fell 1.73 percent to 7,806.79 in Frankfurt.

Car and truck manufacturers were among the few gainers on the session.

In Paris, Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) added 0.75 percent to €65.59 for the best performance of the day on the CAC-40.

Meanwhile truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) had the best day on the Dax as it added 1.54 percent to €109.02.

Still, the sector remained mixed with BMW (FWB: BMW) down 2.18 percent to €38.15.

Insurers had the worst day on both the Dax and the CAC-40.

In Frankfurt Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) dropped 2.44 percent to €164.07, while in Paris Axa (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) fell 3.27 percent to €30.50.

Utilities were also lower, with Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) down 2.12 percent to €120.03 and Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) closing at €40.33, a decline of 2.58 percent.

In the semiconductors sector, STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was 2.63 percent lower to €13.71, while among oil companies Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) fell 2.28 percent to €59.17.

Deutsche Post (FWB: DPW; LSE: DPO) was down 2.26 percent to €22.07 after a report that United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) has seen strong growth internationally.

In Europe, equities markets were lower on Thursday on interest rate concerns.

While the European Central Bank held interest rates at 4 percent, as had been expected, investors are worried that rates could go up again soon.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.61 percent to 1,610.24. The IBEX was 0.55 percent lower in Madrid to close at 14,907.4, while the Paris CAC-40 fell 0.63 percent to 6,059.53 and the Dax was down 1.09 percent to 7,987.13 in Frankfurt.

There were only four gainers in Paris on the session, with retailer Carrefour (Euronext: CA) having the best day with a gain of 2.81 percent to €54.23.

Others seeing gains included aerospace group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) up 0.21 percent to €24.10.

Drug maker Sanofi-Aventis (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) gained 0.44 percent to €61.44, while power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) added 0.89 percent to €128.03.

In Frankfurt, financial planner MLP (FWB: MLP) performed best on the session as it added 0.52 percent to €15.44, while retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) gained 0.41 percent to €62.01.

The biggest losers on the day in both Pairs and Frankfurt were in the utilities sector.

In Frankfurt, Eon (FWB: EOA; LSE: EON; NYSE: EON) dropped 2.38 percent to €121.51, while EDF (Euronext: EEN) was 3.7 percent lower in Paris, to €77.52.

Insurers had a tough day of it as well. AXA (Euronext: CS; NYSE: AXA) was 1.23 percent lower to €32.12, while Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) dropped 1.76 percent to €171.21.