Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Friday.
Shares in Siemens fell 3.5 percent, initially hit by a downgrade on the stock to "sell" from Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, which cited uncertainty over its loss-making mobile phone unit.
The losses accelerated late in the session with dealers blaming a lack of strong positive news from a conference call. Paper stocks such as Norske Skogsin, Stora Enso, and UPM-Kymmene skidded on concerns about their upcoming results, dealers said.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index ended down 0.5 percent at 1,054.44 points after hitting a new 2-1/2-year high earlier in the session after news of a bumper $57 billion merger in the US consumer goods sector, with Procter & Gamble Co to acquire Gillette Co.
The Industrial index closed at 9,591.63 points, up 33.59 or 0.35 percent. The index gained 271.67 points over the week.