German shares pared back some of their sharp losses by the close of late trade but concerns about further global stock market weakness kept prices under pressure and kept attention fixed on Wall Street.

Paris CAC-40: 2203.41 (-8.70)

French stocks closed lower but above their session low point as Wall Street recovered after an initial 50-point sell-off which followed the previous day's 98-point slide in the Dow. Dealers said that the market looked oversold after a correction of nearly 8 per cent in the past 10 days.

Milan Mibtel: 10124 (-36)

Stocks closed slightly lower with investors nervously watching the recovery on Wall Street after the initial burst of selling.