European stock markets fell slightly this evening on further doubts about the economic recovery after downbeat data from both Japan and the US, though analysts said trading volumes were low.
London's FTSE 100 ended flat at 5,276, with Vedanta Resources up almost 5% to £21.53 after it agreed to acquire a majority stake in energy explorer Cairn India. In Paris, the CAC lost 0.4% to 3,598 but in Frankfurt the DAX was unchanged at 6,111.
In Dublin, the ISEQ ended 11 points (0.4%) lower at 2,814, with banks falling in line with their counterparts across Europe. AIB dropped 4.3% to 80 cent, while Bank of Ireland fell 2.3% to 77 cent. Aer Lingus lost 3.25 to 87 cent, while Independent fell 4.3% to 67 cent.
In New York, markets steadied after earlier falls, with the Dow Jones marginally higher at 10,311 and the Nasdaq up 0.7% to 2,188.
Earlier, Tokyo's Nikkei index lost 0.6% to close at 9,197 after figures confirmed that the Japanese economy grew at a much weaker than expected pace in the months from April to June. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong gained 0.2% to 21,112.
