Frankfurt Dax: 2558.94 (+6.48)

German shares ended the day higher, after a rush by foreign investors to buy chemical stocks helped lift the market in afternoon trade, with volumes higher than Monday's year lows. Despite the continued weakness of the dollar, the IBIS DAX index, which measures all-day electronic trade in 30 blue-chip German companies, ended up 9.17 points, or 0.36 per cent, at 2563.59 points.

Paris CAC-40: 2017.99 (-2.43)

French shares ended fractionally weaker as unease about union unrest slated for the autumn and a weaker franc got the better of a slight rise on Wall Street. The blue-chip CAC-40 index ended 2.43 points or 0.12 per cent lower at 2017.99 after a brief foray into positive territory when the New York stock market opened higher.

Milan MIBTEL: 9649 (+49)

Italian shares closed mostly higher helped by remarks in the afternoon by the Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini, that talks with European partners on a return of the lira to the European exchange rate mechanism were going well.