European markets closed lower on Tuesday with financial and mining stocks ended lower while drugmakers and energy shares closed higher.Banks fell on Tuesday,Barclays was down 6.5 percent, Lloyds down 10.3 percent,KBC Group losing 14 percent,Royal Bank of Scotland down 5.6 percent and UBS down 7.3 percent.Chemicals firms closed stronger, with Rhodia up 7.8 percent.Miners stock closed lower with BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto all closed down.Energy stocks gained as crude oil touched $60 a barrel. BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Tullow Oil,Total and StatoilHydro all closed higher.

FTSE 100 index ended down 0.22 percent down 9.96 points to 4,425.54,Germany's DAX closed down 0.26 percent down 12.80 points to 4,854.11,France's CAC 40 down 0.54 percent down 17.57 points to 3,231.10.

Dow Jones industrial average up 50.34 points, up 0.6 percent, to 8469.11.Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 0.89 points, down 0.1 percent, to 908.35.Nasdaq composite index fell 15.32 points,down 0.88 percent, to 1715.92.

Dollar fell versus the euro and the yen.Crude oil for June delivery rose 35 cents to settle at $58.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Gold for June delivery rose $10.40 to settle at $923.90 an ounce.
Tuesday,12 May 2009