Stocks: Fiscal cliff also draws Europe down

The mood could be better on the stock exchanges in Europe in Friday's trading, where investors have pushed  optimism to the side. Instead, the focus is on the major challenges that policymakers are struggling with on both sides of the Atlantic.

In Europe the debt crisis continue to pull down, while Americans' concerns is whether Democrats and Republicans can agree in due time before the fiscal tightening with the entrance to 2013.

Europe: Kept momentum in Spanish redemption

The European market Wednesday insisted its upward momentum after a long-awaited report from Moody's on Spain did not contain the expected downgrade of its credit rating. At the same time a string of positive news for several large European companies sent mood firmly upwards.

Europe: Mining industry under pressure despite positive market

It was much of the day relatively quiet on the European stock markets Tuesday. But as investors got new economic data from the United States in the form of particular consumer confidence a trickling market turned - if not flashy – to a plus. Consumer confidence surprised positively with an increase of 70.3 against the expected 63.1 got liquidity back in the market.

Stocks: Europe high in the air - Wall Street loses steam

It was a really good day on the European stock markets, and the investors can largely thank the U.S. central bank chairman Ben Bernanke for that. In the U.S. the stock market flew out of the starting blocks from the morning in New York, but the air is four hours later gone a little out of the balloon.

Shares and interest rates fall after disappointing job report

The disappointing U.S. employment report draws negative track the financial markets, where both equities and interest rates fall.

The German DAX stock index fell by 0.4 percent, as the job report was announced.  After a few minutes the DAX index recovered again.

Europe: ECB opened the floodgates

There was distinct relief in European markets after the ECB's presentation of a rescue plan for the euro and the debt-ridden southern European countries. After days of anxious waiting markets could relate to something real, and the investors were not disappointed. Quite the contrary. The wait was finally over, and it created intense activity and sharply rising prices.