Europe Markets Overview

European shares closed lower on Thursday amid a selloff spurred by concerns over a banking collapse in Cyprus.

European shares pared their earlier gains to close narrowly mixed Wednesday as investors watched to see if Russia will extend or increase its loan agreement for struggling Cyprus.

European shares closed lower on Tuesday as markets await the outcome of a critical vote in Cyprus to tax bank deposits.

European shares closed off their sessions lows on Monday, bouncing back from sharp falls in the first day of trade since a surprise bailout plan for Cyprus that includes a levy on savers was announced.

European shares closed lower on Friday as as investors booked gains after a 10-day global rally.

European shares rose on Thursday, resuming the two-week rally that has propelled indexes to multi-year highs.

European shares closed off their lows on Wednesday after retail sales data in the U.S. was released.

European shares steadied on Tuesday, taking their cues from a mixed showing on Wall Street.

Bank stocks held European shares below 4-1/2 years highs on Monday, depressed by a worsening outlook for Italy's public finances.

European shares extended their gains on Friday, closing higher after better than expected non-farm payrolls in the U.S boosted investor sentiment.

European shares ended slightly lower on Thursday, held back by a post-results slump for British insurer Aviva.

European shares fell on Wednesday as investors booked profits on a rally that had sent several markets to multi-year highs, led by weakness in the mining sector after metals prices fell.

Europe's top equity indexes bounced up to multi-year highs on Tuesday, buoyed by the breach of key technical levels, a crop of upbeat corporate outlooks and prospects of continued stimulus from global central banks.

European equities finished a volatile session broadly flat on Monday after investors balanced fresh assurances of global central bank stimulus against some disappointing earnings.

European shares edged lower on Friday, impacted by weaker bank and mining stocks, and traders expected equities to stay trapped in a tight range this month.

European shares closed higher on Thursday as investors watched to see whether a last-minute deal can avert the $85 billion of automatic spending cuts due in the U.S. on Friday.

European shares extended gains in the afternoon session on Wednesday, helped by a successful bond auction in Italy and the U.S. Federal Reserve's defense of its asset purchases on Tuesday.

Euro zone shares sank to three month lows on Tuesday after an Italian election stalemate renewed concerns about the future of the euro zone.

Uncertainty over the Italian election outcome dragged European indexes off their highs on concern that an unclear outcome could hamper the country's effort to implement economic reforms.