Markets in Europe were higher on Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.68 percent higher to 1,587.6.

The Paris CAC-40 added 0.71 percent to 5,836.19 and the Dax gained 0.76 percent to 8,009.67, while the IBEX was up 0.86 percent to 15,738.1.

Carmakers were higher after Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan (TYO: 7201) defied predictions and reported higher profits in a quarterly report.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) had the best day on the CAC-40 with a gain of 4.07 percent to €63.96, while Renault (Euronext: RNO) was up 3.83 percent to €115.16 and Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) added 3.21 percent to €187.87.

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) fell 0.29 percent to €119.84.

Retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) was the best performer on the Dax, gaining 3.37 percent to €61.01.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Bayer (FWB: BAY; TYO: 4863) put in the worst performance on the Dax, where it dropped 0.84 percent to €57.85 after study results did not bear out the possibility that higher doses of a multiple sclerosis drug would be of more help to patients than a standard dose.

Airlines were lower on the session.

Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was down 0.25 percent to €20.01, while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was 1.16 percent lower to €25.53.

Aerospace group EADS (Euronext: EAD; FWB: EAD) had the worst day on the CAC-40 as it dropped 1.67 percent to €24.09.

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 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.

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 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 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 also headed lower again Wednesday after Tuesday’s gains.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.54 percent to 1,526.07.

In Frankfurt the Dax was 1.45 percent lower to 7,473.93, while the IBEX fell 1.46 percent to 14, 586.1 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 was down 1.68 percent to 5,654.3.

Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) had the best day on the Dax, where it added 1.12 percent to €134.

On the other hand, BMW (FWB: BMW) dropped 5.06 percent to €35.34.

Other gainers in Frankfurt included industrial gases group Linde (FWB: LIN) was up 0.97 percent to €87.60, while in Paris Air Liquide (Euronext: AI) dropped 2.61 percent to €93.21.

Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) added 0.73 percent to €20.83 and retailer Metro (FWB: MEO) was 0.65 percent higher to €57.56.

There were only two gainers on the CAC-40, both related to the steel sector.

Steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) added 1.57 percent to €196.12, while Mittal Steel had the best day in Paris as it gained 2.21 percent to €46.74.

The utilities sector was lower, with Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) 2.47 percent lower to €33.50 and Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) down 2.57 percent to €37.97.

Hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC) fell 2.73 percent to €61.57, while in the pharmaceuticals sector Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) was down 3.35 percent to €59.44.

Conglomerate Bouygues (Euronext: EN), with interests in media, construction and telecommunications, was the worst performer on the CAC-40, dropping 4.13 percent to €56.70.

Most European markets were also lower again on Friday.

The main exception was the IBEX, which was 0.23 percent higher to 14,574 in Madrid.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.54 percent to 1,519.59. In Paris the CAC-40 was 0.55 percent lower to 5,643.96, while the Dax fell 0.76 percent to 7,451.68 in Frankfurt.

The best performance on the session on the CAC-40 came from chipmaker STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM), which added 1.44 percent to €12.66.

Elsewhere in the semiconductors sector, Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) was also higher, gaining 0.41 percent to €12.26.

The Dax saw Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) rise to the top with a gain of 4.91 percent to €125.40.

There were other gains in the automobile manufacturing sector as Renault (Eurnoext: RNO) was up 0.37 percent to €103.26 and Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) added 1.17 percent to €59.75.

Not all carmakers were higher however, as BMW (FWB: BMW) dropped 2.71 percent to €35.77.

In a related sector, tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML) had the worst day on the CAC-40 as it fell 3.72 percent to €90.08.

The worst performance on the Dax came from retailer Metro, which dropped 2.99 percent to €56.39.

Not all retailers saw declines, however, as Carrefour (Euronext: CA) added 0.62 percent to €51.64.

The media sector was mixed.

Vivendi (Euronext: VIV) added 0.29 percent to €31.53, while Lagardere (Euronext: MMB) was down 1.92 percent to €59.34 and Bouygues (Euronext: EN), which has interests in both media and construction, fell 2.09 percent to €57.61.

Another construction group, Vinci (Euronext: DG), was 0.49 percent higher to €52.86.

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.