Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Monday.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.87 percent lower at 1,503.91. The benchmark index, still up a meagre 1.4 percent on the year, has sunk 7.8 percent since hitting a 6-1/2 year closing high of 1,630.32 on July 16, affected by fears that tightening credit conditions would dry up the flow of leveraged buyouts.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index lost 100.8 points to 5,920.2, after falling as much as 2.2 percent earlier in the session and adding to a 1 percent decline last week. It was its lowest close since April 2.
The All Gold index closed at 2,331.38 points, down 189.61 or 7.52 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,984.38 points, down 479.37 or 2.46 percent.