Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Friday.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed down 3.04 percent at 1,479.40 points, matching the one-day percentage drop on February 27, when global equities tumbled, sparked by a sell-off in Chinese markets. Banking shares were among the worst hit with Barclays down 6.4 percent, ABN Amro down 3.5 percent and Societe Generale down 5 percent. Mining stocks such as Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton slid more than 6 percent amid falling metal prices as investors feared a possible credit crisis could affect the overall economy, hampering growth.