LONDON (AP) - Worries that Portugal or even Spain will have to seek outside help for their debts continued to unsettle financial markets yesterday though buoyant US consumer confidence figures helped to contain the damage.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 22.68 points, or 0.4 percent, at 5,528.27 while Germany’s DAX fell 9.48 points, or 0.1 percent, at 6,688.49. The CAC-40 in France ended 26.52 points, or 0.7 percent, lower at 3,610.44.

In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 58.62 points, or 0.5 percent, at 10,993.87 around midday New York time while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 8.56 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,179.20.

Some comfort emerged with the news that consumer confidence in the US has ratcheted up in November ahead of the crucial Christmas buying season, another sign that the recovery in the world’s largest economy is picking up pace.

The Conference Board reported that its main US consumer confidence index rose to a five-month high of 54.1, from a revised 49.9 in October. Analysts were expecting a far more modest rise to 52.

However, Europe’s debt crisis again dominated the markets’ focus, with the bond markets in particular considering the likelihood of further bailouts, following the weekend’s €67.5 billion ($88 billion) rescue package for Ireland.

Earlier in Asia, Chinese shares trimmed some losses after volatile trading that took the Shanghai benchmark down 3.4 percent at one stage on worries over fresh inflation-fighting measures. However, the Shanghai Composite Index closed down 1.6 percent to 2,820.18 while the Shenzhen Composite Index for China’s smaller, second exchange fell 2.4 percent to 1,307.83.

Soaring prices in China, the world’s No.2 economy, are so far limited mostly to food, but analysts say price pressure could spread to other areas unless Beijing hikes interest rates and further tightens credit. Investors worry that might slow economic growth or reduce the amount of money flowing through the economy that is helping to finance stock trading.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average dropped 1.9 percent to close at 9,937.04 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.7 percent to 23,007.99. Australia’s S&P/ASX200 index shed 0.7 percent to 4,584.4.

Benchmark oil for January delivery was down 63 cents to $85.10 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.