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 saw losses on Tuesday, led by declines in banks that are still beset by problems in the credit market.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.28 percent lower to 1,493.85.

In Frankfurt the Dax dropped 0.66 percent to 7,425.07, while the WIBEX was down 1.21 percent to 14,553.1 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 fell 1.63 percent to 5,478.66.

The banking sector was led lower as UBS (SWX: UBSN; NYSE: UBS;j TYO: 8657) warned that earnings by investment banks would be affected by recent market volatility in the second half.

While the Swiss bank reported better than anticipated results in the second quarter, it said that if current conditions persist its second half could be weak.

After its warning, UBS dropped 3.9 percent to SFr63.50.

Banks were the three biggest losers of the session on the CAC-40.

Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) fell 2.77 percent to €27.03, while BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was 3.48 percent lower to €78.18 and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) dropped 4.59 percent to €119.00.

Spanish bank Banco Santander (IBEX-35: SAN; LSE: BNC; NYSE: STD) was 1.7 percent lower to €13.52.

In Frankfurt, meanwhile, Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was down 1.47 percent to €29.37, while Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NSYE: DB) fell 2.9 percent to €94.33.

The biggest loser on the Dax, however, was Fresenius Medical Care (FWB: FREG), which was down 2.99 percent to €35.12.

Steelmaker ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TK; LSE: THK) was the best performer on the Dax as it added 2.22 percent to €40.34 on an upgrade from “neutral” to “outperform” from Credit Suisse (SWX: CSGN; NYSE: CS), which also raised the steel group’s target share price from €42 to €47.

There were only four gainers on the day on the CAC-40, with hotels operator Accor (Euronext: AC) leading the way with a gain of 0.69 percent to €59.44.

The semiconductors sector was higher, with STMicroelectronics (Euronext: STM; NYSE: STM) 0.16 percent higher to €12.60 and Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) up 0.45 percent to €11.17.

European equities markets were higher Monday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 2.37 percent to 1,514.49.

In Frankfurt the Dax was 1.78 percent higher to 7,474.33, while Madrid’s IBEX added 1.92 percent to 14,731.8 and the Paris CAC-40 was up 2.21 percent to 5,569.28.

Car and truck manufacturers saw gains.

Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 3.24 percent to €59.57 and Renault (Euronext: RNO) gained 3.79 percent to €98.74 in Paris, while in Frankfurt DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) was up to €62.45 and truck manufacturer Man (FWB: EDF1) gained 4.63 percent to €98.53.

Airlines were also higher, with Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) up 4.23 percent to €19.92 while Air France (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) added 5.04 percent to €30.

Chemicals group Altana (FWB: ALT; NYSE: AAA) had the best day on the Dax with a gain of 5.15 percent to €15.71.

Meanwhile, the best performer on the CAC-40 was tire maker Michelin (Euronext: ML), which was 5.35 percent higher to €88.81.

Other gainers included steel maker ThyssenKrupp (FWB: TKA; LSE: THK) with a gain of 3.82 percent to €39.65 on a broker upgrade from “hold” to “add”.

Property investor Unibail (Euronext: UL) turned in the worst performance on the CAC-40, dropping 1.96 percent to €170.77, while the worst day on the Dax was in the financial services sector as MLP (FWB: MLPB) - formerly Marschollek, Lautenschlager, and Partner - with a decline of 2.84 percent to €12.33.

Software manufacturer SAP (FWB: SAP; NYSE: SAP) fell 0.53 percent to 39.29.

Food processor Groupe Danone (Euronext: BN; NYSE: DA) was 0.69 percent lower to €54.35, while drinks producer Pernon-Ricard (Euronext: RI) dropped 0.88 percent to €153.76.

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.

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 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.

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.