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 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 significantly higher on Tuesday as they attempt to recover from last week’s declines.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 2.01 percent to 1,548.24.

The Dax was 1.71 percent higher to 7,584.14 in Frankfurt, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 1.85 percent to 5,751.08 and Madrid’s IBEX jumped 2.03 percent to 14,802.4.

Banks were mostly higher on the session.

BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 3.1 percent higher to €81.73, while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) gained 3.17 percent to €127.44 and Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) was up 3.24 percent to €28.35.

In Frankfurt, meanwhile, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) gained 4.02 percent to €100.62 but HypoVereinsbank (FWB: HVM) was down 0.23 percent to €42.84.

Airlines were higher, with Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) adding 3.07 percent to €33.29 and Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) gaining 3.36 percent to €20.65.

Car and truck makers also saw gains.

DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was 3.45 percent higher to €66.69, while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC; PEUGY) added 3.21 percent to €62.34 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was up 4.65 higher to €107.06 on a broker upgrade from ABN Amro (Euronext: AAB; NYSE: ABN).

Truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) was the day’s best performer on the Dax with a gain of 4.28 percent to €107.09.

Property investment company Unibail (Euronext: UL) had the best day on the CAC-40 as it added 5.88 percent to €175.30.

There were few declines on the day, but in the telecommunications sector Alcatel-Lucent fell 9.28 percent to €8.70 on a disappointing earnings report based on costs that were merger-related.

The worst performance on the Dax came from engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI), which was 1.63 percent lower to €93.71 after rumors circulated that it would issue more shares.

Most European markets saw declines for the second session in a row on Wednesday.

The major exception was Madrid’s IBEX, which added 0.16 percent to 14,937.7.

In Paris, the CAC-40 dropped 1.19 percent to 5,837.11, while the Dax was 1.46 percent lower to 7,692.55 in Frankfurt.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.92 percent to 1,571.04.

The biggest decliners on the day were in the semiconductors and engineering sectors.

Engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI) was down 5.98 percent to €99.34 in Frankfurt after it sold its auto parts unit for a price that was lower than had been anticipated and said at the same time that it will purchase American medical diagnostic products manufacturer Dade Behring Holdings (NAS: DADE) for $7 billion, a price analysts say is too high.

Siemens’ decline came even though it reported that its net income was up by 54 percent in its fiscal third quarter from the same period last year.

In Paris, meanwhile, STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) dropped 6.42 percent to €12.83 after it reported losses for the quarter.

The biggest winner on the Dax was Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG), which added 1.68 percent to €35.13 on news that the United States Congress is debating whether to expand Medicare dialysis coverage for senior citizens from 30 months to 42 months.

Meanwhile, media group Vivendi (Euronext: VIV) was the best performer on the CAC-40 with a gain of 1.51 percent to €32.27.

Carmakers were mixed on the session.

In Frankfurt, DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) added 1.81 percent to €67.15 after it reported profits that were higher than expected from its Mercedes unit.

On the other hand, Renault (Euronext: RNO) dropped 3.51 percent to €108.10 while Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) fell 5.93 percent to €61.70 on profit-taking.

Truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) was also lower, dropping 2.45 percent to €106.07.

Equities markets in Europe were higher on Thursday, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 rising 0.92 percent to 1,617.76.

The IBEX added 0.99 percent to 15,207.3 in Madrid, while the Paris CAC-40 gained 1.16 percent to 6,065.5 and the Dax was 1.24 percent higher in Frankfurt to 7,991.21.

The best performer on the Dax on the session was software group SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP), which gained 6.06 percent to €40.14 after it reported that software licensing sales were up 18 percent in the second quarter.

IT Services company Cap Gemini (Euronext: CAP) had the best day in Paris, adding 3.95 percent to €57.11.

Other gainers on the session included STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM), which was 2.14 percent higher to €14.34 and builder Vinci (Euronext: DG), which was up 2.13 percent to €57.19.
‘
Engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI) gained 2.85 percent to €108.35, while in the steel sector ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) added 1.7 percent to €44.34.

The automobile manufacturing sector was mixed, with Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) up 2.29 percent to €63.10 but BMW (FWB: BMW) down 0.08 percent to €38.94.

There were only two decliners on the CAC-40.

Drinks maker Pernod-Ricard (Euronext: RI) dropped 0.04 percent to €164.53, while utility EDF (Euronext: EEN) fell 0.63 percent to €77.02.

Equities markets saw significant gains on Thursday after two days of wide declines.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 1.19 percent to 1,620.18. The IBEX gained 1.19 percent to 14,941.8 in Madrid, while the Paris CAC-40 was 1.7 percent higher to 6,103.05 and the Dax was up 1.96 percent to 8,053.43.

The engineering sector did very well on the day, with the best performance on both the Dax and in Paris.

In Frankfurt, Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI) gained 3.87 percent to €110.82, while in Paris engineering and power generation group Alstom (Euronext: ALO) was 8.45 percent higher to €135.60.

Builders and those that furnish materials to them were higher in Paris.

Construction group Vinci (Euronext: EG) added 4 percent to €57.70, while cement and construction materials provider Lafarge (Euronext: LG) gained 2.1 percent to €134.54.

Other gainers included stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1), which was 3.84 percent higher to ¥89.75 and chipmaker Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) with a gain of 3.63 percent to €13.41.

In the oil sector, Total (Euronext: FP; NYSE: TOT) added 3.02 percent to €62.38.

The biggest loser on the CAC-40 was hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC), which dropped 1.48 percent to ¥71.88.

On the Dax, the only decliner of the session was financial services group Marschollek (FWB: MLPG), which fell 0.2 percent to €15.22.

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.

Equities markets saw gains in Europe on Friday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.57 percent to 1,618.9.

In Paris, the CAC-40 was 0.71 percent higher to 6,102.69, while the Dax added 0.77 percent to 8,048.32 in Frankfurt and the IBEX was up 1.01 percent to 15,058.3 in Madrid.

Carmakers were higher. Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY) was 1.45 percent higher to €123.88, while BMW (FWB: BMW) gained 1.89 percent to €41.22 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) was up 2.12 percent to €120.17.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was the session’s best performer on the CAC-40 with a gain of 5.84 percent to €65.03.

Steelmaker ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) had the best day on the Dax as it added 3.96 percent to €45.41.

Poorest performances on the day included engineering group Siemens (FWB: SIE; NYSE: SI) with a decline of 0.77 percent to €109.08 on the Dax and Gaz de France (Euronext: GAZ), which dropped 1.96 percent to €37.11 in Paris.

Other losers on the day included insurer Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ), down 0.04 percent to €170.94 and Air France (Euronext: AF; NSYE: AKH), which was 1.61 percent lower to €33.54.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 2.4 percent this week to 1,313.62, for its best week since January, but it was down by 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2006. The 300 has added 3 percent since the beginning of the year, but it will need to make up a lot of ground if it is to match its 2005 full-year gain of over 20 percent.

The steel sector saw gains on the week after Arcelor rejected a bid from Severstal, which was seen leaving room for an already-arranged merger with Mittal Steel. Arcelor added 7.8 percent during the week to €37.74. Elsewhere in the sector, ThyseenKrupp gained 3.8 percent to €26.77, while Salzgitter was up 6.9 percent to €66.37. Voestalpine advanced by 7.3 percent to €117.60.

European tiremakers saw declines after Japanese tiremaker Bridgestone of Japan cut its profits estimate for the year. Michelin was down 1.3 percent on the week to €47, while Continental fell 1.6 percent to €79.92.

Danish shipper AP Moller-Maersk declined by 5.2 percent to DKr45,400 on a reduced profits forecast for the year due to sub-par performance in its container shipping unit.

Bayer added 4.5 percent on Friday and 8.4 percent on the week to €35.94 after it said that it will sell part of its diagnostics unit to Siemens, which added 0.8 percent on the day Friday and 0.2 percent during the week to €68.03. Several banks either upgraded or reiterated their positive recommendations for Bayer during the week.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.7 percent on Monday to close at 1,269.21, helped by an announced merger in the telecommunications sector.

Nokia of Finland said it would merge its network equipment unit with that of Siemens. The announcement sent shares in Nokia up by 3.2 percent to €16.15, while Siemens added 7.2 percent to €67.36. The merger was expected to save €1.5 billion per year by 2010. While Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein made negative comments about the deal, including that the deal would take a long time to close, HSBC upgraded Siemens from “neutral” to “overweight” and increased the German telecom’s target share price from €76 to €81.

Also in telecoms, TeliaSonera dropped 1.8 percent to SKr39 on a downgrade from “hold” to “sell” from Citigroup.

In semiconductors, Infineon was 0.7 percent higher at €8.57, while STMicroelectronics gained 1.9 percent to €12.49 on a buy recommendation from Morgan Stanley.

Ferrovial added 4.2 percent to €55.45 on an upgrade from “hold” to “buy” from Societe Generale, based on the assumption that the Spanish construction group will complete its takeover of airport operator BAA.

In the insurance sector, Allianz was up 3.5 percent to €118.48, while RAS gained 2.9 percent to €18.57 and Axa advanced by 1.3 percent to €24.30.