Created: Jun 20, 2007 11:00 AM
LONDON - The FTSE 100 of Britain's leading shares ended down in thin trading as Tesco and a German investor confidence survey dragged the index deep into the red. The FTSE 100 closed 53.3 points, or 0.8 percent, down at 6,650.2.ROUNDUP:EUROFIRSTEUROPE - European shares edged lower, retreating for a second consecutive day as UK retailer Tesco dropped on tepid sales figures, and after the ZEW index of German investor confidence unexpectedly fell in June. U.K retailer Tesco was the heaviest drag on the FTSEurofirst 300, dropping 4.9 percent after posting a slowdown in its core UK sales growth in the first quarter. The news hit other stocks in the same sector, like France's Carrefour, which lost 1.4 percent. Mobile phone company Vodafone Group was down 1.9 percent after the Financial Times reported that AT&T's new chief executive had dismissed speculation the U.S. firm was planning a takeover bid for Vodafone. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed down 0.33 percent at 1,614.57 points.ROUNDUP:EUROmarketsFRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 8,033.52 points, down 2.6 or 0.03 percent.
PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 6,071.67 points, down 15.48 or 0.25 percent.
ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 9,333.4 points, down 32.33 or 0.35 percent.
MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33,461 points, up 95 or 0.28 percent.ROUNDUP:nikkeiTOKYO - The Nikkei average eked out a 0.08 percent gain to end at its highest in nearly four months as Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. and Nikon Corp. rose on brokerage upgrades, but shipping and airline stocks fell on worries about higher fuel costs. The Nikkei added 14.09 points to close at 18,163.61.ROUNDUP:hang sengHONG KONG - The Hong Kong stock market was closed for the Tuen Ng Festival holiday. On Monday the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 565.84 points, or 2.69 percent to close at 21,582.89 points.ROUNDUP:asxSYDNEY - Shares rose 0.45 percent to post a fourth straight session of gains, with energy firms rising on a jump in oil prices, while the top miners rose on a buoyant outlook for commodities demand. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 28.6 points to 6,372.0.ROUNDUP:south africaJOHANNESBURG - Shares dipped as mining shares like Anglo American got hit by a firm rand, weaker metals prices and profit taking. The All-share index closed at 29,243.19 points, down 75.4 or 0.26 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,581.87 points, down 29.72 or 1.14 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19,806.72 points, down 35.93 or 0.18 percent.