The Frankfurt stock market put on an enthusiastic performance after a long Easter weekend to move into new record territory, helped by speculation about concentrations in the banking sector.
The DAX index broke through 5400 points during the session to 5411.07 points at the peak, but then gave up part of its gains. Bank issues were mainly responsible for pushing the DAX to new peaks, as speculation about regroupings was fuelled by Monday's news of merger projects in the United States.
Paris CAC-40: 3867.66 (-26.82)
The Paris Bourse suffered a sizeable loss as the CAC 40 index finished the day at 3867.66 points, down 0.69 percent from the Thursday close. The dollar dropped below 6.05 francs against more than 6.10 early in the morning, and traders said that was the main reason for the Bourse's loss of nerve.
Milan Mibtel: 23342 (+477)
Italian shares ended higher across the board, boosted by a fresh wave of retail buying after Wall Street's strong opening and a rebound on the futures market.
