Europe Markets Europe Markets Overview

European shares closed higher on Monday as investors breathed a sigh of relief following the release of second-quarter Chinese growth data.

European shares closed slightly lower on Friday after posting four days of successive gains, with weak data from the euro zone showing that its economic recovery still hangs in the balance.

European shares closed higher on Thursday following dovish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, and renewed optimism on the economic outlook in Japan and China.

European shares trimmed losses to close flat on Wednesday, as investors awaited the minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting, and a speech by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, for signs of when the central bank might scale back its asset-purchases.

European shares closed higher on Tuesday, following comments from European Central Bank policymaker Joerg Asmussen, and after the U.S. second quarter earnings season began on a high note, with bellwether Alcoa beating forecasts.

European shares posted gains to close higher on Monday, after an upbeat start to Wall Street, and better news from Greece and Portugal.

European shares increases losses on Friday afternoon after a better-than-expected U.S. employment report, having turned briefly higher on the news.

European shares rallied to post their biggest one-day jump in 10 weeks on Thursday after the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank (ECB) both gave guidance for the first time on the path for future monetary policy.

European shares closed lower on Wednesday after positive jobs data from the U.S. helped to trim intra-day lows.

European shares recovered slightly Tuesday to close narrowly lower, as worrying euro zone signals gave way to better-than-expected U.S. factory orders.

European shares closed higher on Monday, shadowing gains on Wall Street, where the Dow bounced above the psychologically important 15,000 level.

European shares closed lower on Friday, as investors traded cautiously on the last day of the second quarter.

European shares extended gains to close higher on Thursday, following upbeat data from the U.S.

European shares closed higher on Wednesday afternoon, as relief rallies in Europe and the U.S. continued.

European shares rebounded from seven-month lows to close higher on Tuesday afternoon. Investor sentiment was boosted after the Chinese central bank held a press conference to try to allay fears of a credit squeeze in the country.

European shares accelerated losses to close sharply lower on Monday, on ongoing concerns about an imminent scaling back of the U.S. Federal Reserve's asset purchases, plus liquidity fears in China.

European shares rebounded before turning down and closing lower on Friday. This followed a heavy sell-off in the previous session after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it might scale back its asset purchases this year.

European shares saw a heavy sell-off on Thursday on fears of a possible unwinding of monetary easing in the U.S. and weak economic figures from China.

European shares closed lower on Wednesday, as investors awaited a key policy statement by the Federal Reserve after its two-day meeting.