DAX: 2713.22 (-15.97)

The Frankfurt market suffered a substantial set-back, mainly due to a plunge by Siemens and to the dollar's weakness. The DAX index finished the official session at 2713.22 points, down 0.59 per cent by comparison with the Wednesday close.

CAC-40: 2211.81 (-1.56)

The Paris Bourse took a breather after a fast run-up totalling 3.5 per cent in the previous two sessions that had taken the market to its highest level since March 1994. Stock prices were weakened by some profit-taking yesterday, and the CAC 40 index eased by 0.07 per cent on the day to finish at 2211.81 points. The market was less active than in previous days, volume weighing in at 4 billion francs on the monthly settlement market.

Mibtel: 10062 (+27)

Italian shares finished on an upward trend at the day's high after an early bout of profit-taking quickly ran out of steam and further strengthening on Wall Street provided support for the market.