Markets generally close lower

German shares closed directionless bourse trade slightly lower, with sentiment weak and volumes low, despite support from stronger Bunds and firmer German bonds. At the end of floor trade in Frankfurt the DAX index of 30 bluechip German shares stood at 2472.64 points, down 6.89 points. In post bourse trade the index fell 10.58 to 2466.21.

Milan MIBTEL: 10399 (-105)

Italian shares ended weaker, unsettled by selling pressure which broke support levels on stock futures, while a sharp dip on Wall Street concerned investors and kept buyers on the sidelines.

With domestic bonds and the lira weakening, there was little to support stocks, while comments by Mr Koebnick of the Bundesbank that the deutschmark was unlikely to weaken further against other European currencies put Italian financial markets on a backward footing.