Markets were also substantially lower in Europe on Thursday.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 3.21 percent lower to 1,443.89.

The Dax dropped 2.36 percent to 7,270.07 in Frankfurt and the CAC-40 was down 3.26 percent to 5,265.47 in Paris.

In Madrid, the IBEX fell 3.68 percent to 13,986.4.

There were no winners on either the CAC-40 or the Dax on the session.

The biggest loser on the Dax was stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (FWB: DB1), which was 6.57 percent lower to €75.13, while the worst performance on the CAC-40 came from steel tubes manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK) at 7.93 percent lower to €171.85.

Car and truck makers fell substantially.

BMW (FWB: BMW) dropped 4.23 percent to €34.99, while Renault (Euronext: RNO) was 4.42 percent lower to €91.20 and truck maker Man (FWB: EDF1) declined 6.38 percent to €96.07.

Builders and construction materials providers dropped in France.

Bouygues (Euronext: EN), which has holdings in both the construction sector and in media, was 4.36 percent lower to €50.88, while construction group Vinci (Eurnoext: DG) fell 4.48 percent to €46.70 and construction materials group Lafarge (Euronext: LG; NYSE: LR) dropped 5.09 percent to €108.43.

Property group Unibail (Euronext: UL) was down 5.9 percent to €161.50, while financial planners MLP (FWB: MLP) was down 4.17 percent to €11.50.

Among banks, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) fell 1.9 percent to €91.65 and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 3.1 percent to €74.67.

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.

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.

European markets saw big losses on the session Friday as investors worried about problems in the US housing sector.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 1.16 percent to 1,599.63. In Frankfurt the Dax was 1.46 percent lower to 7,874.85, while the CAC-40 fell 1.79 percent to 5,957.16 in Paris.

Madrid’s IBEX dropped 1.82 percent to 14,930.1.

The Dax and the CAC-40 each had only two gainers on the session.

The best performer on the Dax was in the pharmaceuticals sector, where Schering (FWB: SCH) added 0.28 percent to €104.83.

The other gainer there was Volkswagen (FWB: VOW; OTC: VLKAY), which gained 0.21 percent to €121.79.

In Paris, meanwhile, the automobile manufacturing sector had the biggest winner of the day as Peugeot (Euronext: UG; OTC: PEUGY) was up 1.36 percent to €63.96.

Carmakers remained mixed, however, as DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) fell 2.47 percent to €65.16.

As on the Dax, the other gainer of the day on the CAC-40 was in the pharmaceuticals sector.

Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NSYE: SNY) was 0.32 percent higher to €62.46.

The worst performance came from steel good manufacturer Vallourec (Euronext: VK), which was 4.89 percent lower to €216.18 on the news that it will sell two firms to Arcelor-Mittal (Euronext: MT; NYSE: MT).

The construction sector in Paris was lower, with Vinci (Euronext: DG) down 2.48 percent to €55.77 and Lafarge (Euronext: LG) falling 3.64 percent to €126.75.

Banks also declined.

Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) was 2.29 percent lower to €135.54, while Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was down 2.77 percent to €33.73 on concerns about the US housing market and BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) dropped 2.99 percent to €84.24.

In the oil sector, Total (Euronext: FP; NSYE: TOT) fell 2.73 percent to €59.47.

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.
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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.

Markets in Europe were higher on Friday, with the FTSE Eurofirst 300 adding 0.39 percent to 1,627.68.

In Paris, the CAC-40 was 0.24 percent higher to 6,117.96, while the Dax gained 0.49 percent to 8,092.77 in Frankfurt and the IBEX was up 0.55 percent to 15,023.5.

Financial services-related shares did well on the session.

Among banks BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) added 0.71 percent to €87.37, while Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) gained 0.99 percent to €29.72 and Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was 1.47 percent higher to €107.71.

Insurance-focused groups also gained, with Allianz (FWB: ALV; NYSE: AZ) up 1.22 percent to €173.12 and Axa adding 1.87 percent to €32.64 for the best performance of the session on the CAC-40.

Financial services group Marschollek (FWB: MLPG), now known as MLP, gained 5.4 percent to €15.89 as the day’s best performer on the Dax.

Other sectors seeing gains on the day included utilities, as EDF (Euronext: EEN) added 0.79 percent to €76.76.

In the chemicals sector, BASF (FWB: BAS; LSE: BFA; NYSE: BF) was up 1.87 percent to €98.88 on an increased target share price, from €92 to €105, issued by UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657).

Schneider Electric (Euronext: SCHN) gained 1.51 percent to €104.77 after Citibank (NYSE: C) raised it recommendation from “hold” to “buy” and on compensation granted in a judgment that grew out of a blocked bid for Legrand (Euronext: LR).

Carmakers saw declines to end the week, with Renault (Euronext: RNO) falling 0.5 percent to €116.66 and DaimlerChrysler (FWB: DCX; NYSE: DCX; TYO: 7663) dropping 0.85 percent to €68.78.

Groupe Danone (Euronext: BN; NSYE: DA) was 3.36 percent lower to €57.02.

Construction group Vinci (Euronext: DG) was 0.69 percent lower to €57.30, while building materials company Lafarge (Euronext: LG) fell 0.54 percent to €133.81.

Airline Lufthansa (FWB: LHA) was down 0.82 percent to €20.58.

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.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 closed at its highest level in six years when it added 0.6 percent on Friday to end the session at 1,519.81.

The week saw big gains in more than one sector.  Deutsche Borse added 10.4 percent on the week to a record share price of €164.30, with one analyst saying that estimates of the stock exchange operator’s earnings growth for the year, at 10 percent, were conservative.

In the construction sector, consolidation possibilities brought big advances.  The news that holding company Artemis had purchased a 5.1 percent stake in French company Vinci sent Vinci’s shares 8.4 percent higher to €104.90.  In Spain, meanwhile, Sacyr-Vallehermoso added 10.2 percent to €48.32.

Deutsche Post gained 7.2 percent on the week to €23.98 on rumors that a private equity group was looking to buy at least part of the 30.6 percent stake owned by the German government, despite predictions of union and political opposition to such a bid.

In the Swedish banking sector, Nordea added 2.2 percent to SKr110.60 and SEB gained 7.5 percent to SKr237.00 on renewed rumors that the two banks could merge.

On the negative side, EADS dropped 2.7 percent during the week, to €24.39, after the aerospace firm issued its second profits warning in four months.  In the French energy sector, Suez was 5.8 percent lower to €38.01 after a withdrawn bid for the company, while Gaz de France dropped 6 percent to €33.73.

In Europe on Wednesday the FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.2 percent to 1,465.95.

Utilities fell to profit-taking and a court ruling that delayed the Suez/Gaz de France merger. Suez was 1.1 percent lower to €36.09, while Gaz de France dropped 2.5 percent to €32.36. Meanwhile Iberdrola, which is expected to bid for Scottish Power soon, fell 1.6 percent to €33.27.

The banking sector was mixed. Credit Agricole dropped 4 percent to €32.90 and earned it a broker downgrade after its third-quarter earnings report disappointed. Elsewhere in the sector, BNP Paribas added 0.2 percent to €84.20 but Societe Generale dropped 0.2 percent to €130.

Gainers on the session included the airlines sector. Lufthansa was 1.9 percent higher to €19.31, while Air France-KLM gained 3.2 percent to €32.25. The gains came after Australia’s Qantas Airways was the recipient of a takeover offer.

Stock exchanges were also higher. Euronext added 5.3 percent to €95.85 after it agreed with NYSE Group on the structure of the board of directors once the two complete their merger. Meanwhile Deutsche Borse was 6.5 percent higher to €138.13 on rumors that it will take a stake in Bulgaria’s stock exchange.

In the construction sector, French group Vinci gained 2.7 percent to €95.55 on speculation that it might be the target of a bid from private equity.