Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
But strategists say the market was due a correction given gains of around seven percent since last December and that investors were taking profits as they digested a statement from the US Federal Reserve on the economy and interest rates.
"We expect some near-term consolidation...The Fed is slowly changing its rhetoric to prepare the market for a rate rise," said Klaus Wiener, chief strategist at AMB Generali Finanz.
But this is not the end of the rally. We expect Europe to show a full-year return of about 10 percent.
The FTSE Eurotop 300 index of pan-European shares gave up 0.87 percent to end at 987.25 points, the lowest close since 980.31 on January 15. Amid good volumes the ratio of losers to gainers was four to one.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 shed 15.1 points, or 0.46 percent, to 3,264.5.
The All-share index closed flat at 10,854.39, down just 7.73 points or 0.07 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,464.19 points, down 77.93 or 3.07 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 7,202.24 points, up 27.28 or 0.38 percent.