Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
EUROPE: Weaker oil cushioned a fall in European shares, but stocks ended a four-session winning streak as Vodafone's outlook disappointed, while poor results at US bank Wachovia weighed on financials. European indexes were also hit by weak forecasts from Apple and Texas Instruments overnight.
Vodafone was the strongest negative weight on the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index with its shares falling around 14 percent. The world's largest mobile phone company by revenue lowered its outlook for full-year revenue to around the bottom of a previously forecast range as consumers delay buying new phones. The FTSEurofirst 300 index ended down 0.4 percent at 1,165.04 points, having fallen as much as 2 percent in the session. The index gained some 5 percent in the previous four sessions.