Frankfurt DAX: 5144.28 (-107.18)

The stock market plummeted over 2 per cent as consolidation continued, with profit-taking concentrating on financial issues, traders said. The DAX has now given up almost 300 points since reaching Monday's all-time high. Traders said that Wall Street's losses on Thursday and the absence of interesting company news favoured the continuation of profit-taking.

Paris CAC-40: 3783.34 (-38.79)

French shares surrendered to the weakness in New York despite holding above other markets for much of the session before a late flurry of selling dragged the market 1 per cent lower on the day and down 2 per cent on the week. Some brokers believe that, if the dollar remains in a range between 6.00 and 6.10 francs, the market will rise again.

Milan Mibtel: 23339 (-913)

Italian shares finished well down as a wave of selling by domestic investors anxious to lock in profits swept through an increasingly nervous market.