European shares turned negative briefly rose on Thursday, as oil stocks fell despite solid profits from Royal Dutch, and as other results, such as those from Unilever failed to cheer investors. At 0916 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares was up 0.6 percent at 902.59 points, having breifly turned negative, going as low as 892.12. Around Europe, France's CAC and London's FTSE are higher by 1% while Germany's DAX is up 3.4%. (Reuters)

European shares rose in early trade on Tuesday to break a five-day losing streak, helped by a surge in Volkswagen and sharp gains in heavyweight oil group BP after quarterly profits jumped. At 0955 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares was up 2.1% at 833.00 points, and had been as high as 839.86. The index has lost 21.6% in October, hurt by a credit crisis and recession worries. Volkswagen was up 64%, following its 146% surge on Monday. Short sellers piled into the stock to sew up their speculative positions after Porsche bought up nearly all VW's remaining free float. BP rose 4.2% after it reported a 148% rise in third-quarter replacement cost profit, at $10.03 bln, boosted by higher oil prices. Around Europe, Germany's DAX is higher by 6.8%, London's FTSE is up 2.3% and France's CAC is higher by 1.8%. (Reuters)

European shares slumped early on Monday, tracking big losses in Asia as intensified fears of a global recession hit banks and energy shares, while Volkswagen soared as Porsche raised its stake. By 0935 GMT the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 4.4% at 793.52 points, adding to Friday's decline of 4.9%. Asian shares extended losses on Monday, with Japan's Nikkei sliding 6.4% to its lowest close in 26 years, as central bank policy moves including a record rate cut in South Korea were not enough to allay fears of a global recession. Around Europe, Germany's DAX is lower by 3.8%, London's FTSE is down by 4.7% and France's CAC is off 6.4%. (Reuters)

European shares slid 8.5 percent on Friday to mirror a tailspin in Asian stocks, as data suggesting Britain would enter a prolonged recession and torrent of woeful company results rattled jumpy investors. At 0937 GMT the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 8.5% at 798.86 points, having hit its lowest since May 2003 at 796.94 points. Global stocks tumbled to a new five-year low on Friday and demand for the relative safety of government bonds and low-yielding currencies soared. The British economy shrank more than expected and for the first time in 16 years in the third quarter of 2008, official data showed on Friday. The figures will likely boost expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates by another 50 basis points next month as the economy looks like heading into its first recession since the early 1990s. Around Europe, Germany's DAX is off 8.8%, France's CAC is lower by 7.9% and London's FTSE is down 7.5%. (Reuters)