European shares fall
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
LONDON, July 17 (AFP): Europe's main stock markets sank Tuesday, with the mining sector taking a hit from weak metals prices after a mixed overnight US showing.
London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares dropped 0.82 per cent to 6,643.00 points, in Paris the CAC 40 shed 0.96 per cent to 6,067.06 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 lost 1.02 per cent to 8,023.36.
The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of top eurozone shares declined 0.74 per cent to 4,523.90 points.
Wall Street closed mixed Monday, but the blue-chip Dow set a third straight record high near 14,000 points as investors cheered the sounds of a robust earnings season revving up.
Japanese share prices closed down Tuesday as investors fretted about the cost of a powerful earthquake that struck Japan Monday, while awaiting upcoming corporate results, dealers said.
London-listed mining companies suffered Tuesday from declining metals prices.
Platinum miner Lonmin saw its share price dive 3.51 per cent to 3,845 pence after brokers Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs cut their price targets. Lonmin had warned Monday of lower platinum sales and production.
Peers Vedanta Resources and Kazakhmys fell 3.47 per cent and 2.48 per cent, to 1,752 pence and 1,375 pence respectively.
In Paris, the biggest blue chip loser was Schneider Electric, down 1.92 per cent at 102.52 euros, as it continued to give up gains from last week that followed a favourable EU court decision and broker upgrade.
Across the Atlantic on Monday, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.31 per cent to an all-time closing high of 13,950.98 points, after reaching a record intraday peak of 13,989.11.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 0.36 per cent to 2,697.33 points and the broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 index shed 0.19 per cent to close at 1,549.52.
London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares dropped 0.82 per cent to 6,643.00 points, in Paris the CAC 40 shed 0.96 per cent to 6,067.06 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 lost 1.02 per cent to 8,023.36.
The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of top eurozone shares declined 0.74 per cent to 4,523.90 points.
Wall Street closed mixed Monday, but the blue-chip Dow set a third straight record high near 14,000 points as investors cheered the sounds of a robust earnings season revving up.
Japanese share prices closed down Tuesday as investors fretted about the cost of a powerful earthquake that struck Japan Monday, while awaiting upcoming corporate results, dealers said.
London-listed mining companies suffered Tuesday from declining metals prices.
Platinum miner Lonmin saw its share price dive 3.51 per cent to 3,845 pence after brokers Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs cut their price targets. Lonmin had warned Monday of lower platinum sales and production.
Peers Vedanta Resources and Kazakhmys fell 3.47 per cent and 2.48 per cent, to 1,752 pence and 1,375 pence respectively.
In Paris, the biggest blue chip loser was Schneider Electric, down 1.92 per cent at 102.52 euros, as it continued to give up gains from last week that followed a favourable EU court decision and broker upgrade.
Across the Atlantic on Monday, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.31 per cent to an all-time closing high of 13,950.98 points, after reaching a record intraday peak of 13,989.11.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 0.36 per cent to 2,697.33 points and the broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 index shed 0.19 per cent to close at 1,549.52.