Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE: European shares fell in a volatile day marked by BNP Paribas freezing payments from three of its funds that reignited fears of a credit crunch, while two central banks pumped extra cash into the market. Bank stocks were the biggest negative weight on the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares.
BNP Paribas shares fell by 3.3 percent, making them one of the worst weighted losers of the day. The FTSEurofirst ended down 1.83 percent at 1,525.84 points, having slid briefly to show a 2.5 percent loss on the day.