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.

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.

Most European markets were higher on the session after the European Central Bank voted to keep interest rates at 4 percent.

Madrid’s IBEX, however, dropped 0.29 percent to 14,198.4.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.17 percent higher to 1,525.2.

In Frankfurt, the Dax added 0.44 percent to 7,621.72, while the CAC-40 was up 0.45 percent to 5,576.62 in Paris.

The best performer on the day on the CAC-40 was in the oil sector, where Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) gained 1.75 percent to €55.69.

The first spot on the Dax went to Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX), which was 5.03 percent higher to €12.10.

Also in the semiconductors sector, STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) was up 1.33 percent to €12.96.

Utilities were mixed.

While Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) added 0.83 percent to €39.08, Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ) was 0.83 percent lower to €34.02.

The steel sector was also mixed on the session.

Mittal Steel (Euronext: NT; NYSE: MT) was up 0.86 percent to €48.03, but ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) dropped 0.31 percent to €41.70.

Meanwhile, steel products manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) was also lower as it fell 0.97 percent to €189.21.

The biggest loser on the day on the Dax was sportswear and sporting goods group Adidas-Salomon (FWB: ADS), which dropped 0.78 percent to €42.97.

The worst performance on the CAC-40 came from manufacturer Saint-Gobain (Euronext: SGO), with a decline of 1.3 percent to €75.42.

European markets were higher on the session Wednesday.

The Eurofirst 300 gained 1.57 percent to 1,505.51.

In Madrid the IBEX added 0.84 percent to 14,359.2, while the Dax was 1.02 percent higher to 7,500.48 in Frankfurt and the Paris CAC-40 was up 1.83 percent to 4,418.17 and had no losers on the day.

The biggest gainer on the day in Paris was construction group Vinci (Euronext: DG), which added 6.41 percent to €51.

Buoygues (Euronext: EN), which has interests in both construction and media, gained 4.05 percent to €53.93.

The steel sector was also higher.

ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) was 2.14 percent higher to €41.92, while Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) was up 4.98 percent to €44.45.

In addition Vallourec (Euronext: VK), which manufactures steel products, was up 4.47 percent to €190.71.

In the semiconductors sector Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) gained 2.76 percent to €11.17 on the news that it is looking to buy.

Among airlines, Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) added 2.29 percent to €20.64, while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was up 3.82 percent to €29.38.

Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG) was the biggest decliner on the Dax, dropping 1.89 percent to €34.85.

Other decliners included utility RWE (FWB: RWE), which fell 0.44 percent to €80.65.

Software maker SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP) was 0.21 percent lower to €38.71.

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.

European markets lost substantial ground Friday, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 down 2.86 percent to 1,482.14.

The Dax dropped 1.48 percent to 7,343.26 in Frankfurt, while the Paris CAC-40 fell 3.13 percent to 5,448.63 and had no gainers on the day.

In Madrid the IBEX was 2.59 percent lower to 14,453.9.

The financial services sector saw declines after the European Central Bank added to Thursday’s injection of €94.8 billion in extra cash into the financial system with another contribution of €61 billion, with indications that it could add more cash to the system over the weekend.

Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) dropped 3.46 percent to €95.18, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 4.36 percent lower to €78.97 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) fell 5 percent to €122.20.

The steel sector was mixed.

While ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) was 0.37 percent higher to €38.10 in Frankfurt, Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) dropped 5.42 percent to €41.92 on fears that the troubled economy could lead to declines in demand.

Airlines were also down on the session as Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) dropped 3.78 percent to €19.11 and Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) fell 5.43 percent to €28.56.

The car and truck manufacturing sector was mixed on the session as well, with Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) leading the Dax for the second day in a row as it added 1.79 percent to €143.87.

On the other hand, Renault (Euronext: RNO) fell 3.84 percent to €95.13, while truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) was the biggest loser on the Dax with a decline of 4.2 percent to €94.87.

Power generator Alstom (Euronext: ALO) was the worst performer on the CAC-40 as it dropped 7.31 percent to €124.10.

The semiconductors sector was lower, as well. Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) fell 4.1 percent to €10.75, while STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NSYE: STM) was 4.2 percent lower to €12.56.

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.

Equities markets were higher in Europe on Monday, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 up 0.19 percent to 1,630.35.

In Paris, the CAC-40 was 0.12 percent higher to 6,125.6, while the Dax gained 0.16 percent to 8,105.69 in Frankfurt and the IBEX was up 0.58 percent to 15,110.4 in Madrid.

Banks were higher in Europe, helped by continuing events surrounding the sale of ABN Amro (Euronext AAB; NYSE: ABN) as a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS; NYSE: RBS PRM) raised the cash component of its bid to 93 percent of the total after the Dutch supreme court gave ABN Amro permission to sell its US operation, LaSalle.

In Frankfurt, Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) added 0.97 percent to €35,45, while in Paris Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) was 1.11 percent higher to €30.05, BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) gained 1.49 percent to €88.67, and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was up 2.1 percent to €138.75.

BMW (FWB: BMW) was the biggest gainer on the Dax, adding 1.39 percent to €40.64, while in Paris utility EDF (Euronext: EEN) led the CAC-40 with a gain of 2.58 percent to €78.74.

In Frankfurt, pharmaceuticals group Bayer (FWB: BAY; NSYE: BAY; TYO: 4863) was 1.35 percent higher to €57.17 after JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) said that new data on the company’s blood-clot drug Rivaroxaban would boost shares and raised its target share price from €63 to €70.

The European steel sector saw declines, with ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) down 1.12 percent to €44.95 and Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) falling 0.56 percent to €48.33.

The biggest loser of the day in Paris was Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ), which dropped 1.43 percent to €36.47.

The oil sector was lower as well, with Total (Euronext: FP; NSYE: TOT) down 1.19 percent to €62.30.

Most European markets saw gains on Monday.

The main exception on the continent was the IBEX, which dropped 0.56 percent to 14,974.7 in Madrid.

In Paris, the CAC-40 was 0.03 percent higher to 6,104.39, while the Dax added 0.36 percent to 8,077.39 in Frankfurt.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.35 percent to 1,625.52.

The telecommunications sector saw gains. In Paris, France Telecom (Eurofirst: FTE; NYSE: FTE) was up 1.62 percent to €20.73, while in Frankfurt Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI), which has telecommunications interests among others, gained 1.8 percent to €111.06.

Airlines also saw gains. Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) added 1.01 percent to €20.98, while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) was up 1.91 percent to €34.18.

In the steel sector, Mittal Steel (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT) had the best day in Paris, adding 2.75 percent to €48.97, while in Frankfurt ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: TKA) gained 1.61 percent to €46.08.

Carmakers were mixed on the session. While Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was 0.69 percent higher to €65.48 and DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) gained 0.95 percent to €69.09, Renault (Euronext: RNO) was 0.68 percent lower to €119.35.

In a related sector, tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML) was up 0.54 percent to €106.12.

Utilities were lower in Paris, with Suez (Euronext: SZE; NYSE: SZE) dropping 1.28 percent to €41.46. Meanwhile, EDF (Euronext: EEN) had the worst day on the CAC-40 as it fell 2.08 percent to €76.31.

French banks also saw declines. Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) was 0.47 percent lower to €29.76, while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) fell 0.63 percent to €137.92.

The worst performer on the day on the Dax was drug maker Bayer, which was 1.32 percent lower to €55.93.