European Shares Decline Broadly

November 3, 2009 12:34 p.m. EST

London (AHN) - European shares declined on Tuesday on British concerns about the strength of the banking sector.

The FTSE 100 index in London lost 67 points or 1.3 percent, to end trading at 5,037.21. Earlier in the day, the index sank to 4,985.09, a level not seen in a month.

The CAC-40 lost 55 points, or 1.5 percent, in Paris, while the DAX fell 77 points, or 1.4 percent, in Frankfurt.

Benchmark indices lost ground in all 18 western European markets except Iceland.

The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index lost 2.7 points, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 234.90, the lowest close since Oct. 2. Every sector landed in the red. While the gauge is up 49 percent in the past six months, it has slipped 5.6 percent since reaching the year's high on Oct. 19.