German shares shrugged off a steep overnight drop on Wall Street ending floor trade steady, with investor interest in car stocks offsetting weak banks and chemicals. Shares had been expected to keep their positive bias yesterday but the 57 point loss in the Dow Jones index on Tuesday capped gains in the German market.
Paris CAC 40: 1,979.52 (-1.05)
French shares ended nearly unchanged in a very quiet market ahead of a four day holiday but Cie Generale des Eaux fell on a profit warning rumour, dealers said. Wall Street's friendlier orientation and a slight recovery of the franc together with an easing of the mark kept shares in a narrow range.
Milan Mibtel: 9,574 (+9)
Shares in Milan closed slightly higher yesterday with little real interest from investors ahead of the Italian national holiday today, with the main feature being the reversal in the share price of telecommunications holding group STET.
