Wall Street encourages retreat

Frankfurt Dax: 2442.34 (-9.44)

German shares ended the day slightly down after coming under pressure from volatile bonds in a market said to be lacking direction. By the end of the day the electronically traded IBIS Dax index was down by 10.79 points, nearly half a percentage point, at 2438.73.

Out performers included chemical shares, after market leader Hoechst rose on what dealers said was a huge foreign buy order, ending the day up 4.20 at 459.00 deutschmarks.

Paris CAC-40: 1960.93 (-15.96)

The French market tracked weaker Wall Street stocks and bond prices to end lower on a relatively quiet day. One trader said that the CAC index could drift back to a level below 1930 before resuming an upward trend.

Milan MIBTEL: 9448 (-118)

Italian stocks ended lower but just managed to pick themselves off the day's floor, after starting weaker and sagging throughout the session, following an easier trend on other markets and depressed by Wall Street falls.