The US fall also hit Europe's main markets in the first 20 minutes of Wednesday trade, with London's FTSE 100 index down 36.2 to 5, 905 and the Paris Cac 40 index down 55 points to 5, 382.5.
In Germany, the DAX 30 index added 1.8% to 6539.85 in Germany, while the French CAC 40 index rose 1.5% to 3363.23 and London's FTSE 100 moved 1.3% higher to 5795.20.
Led by losses for Sanofi, the French CAC 40 index fell 0.4% to 3438.26.
The financial sector's nosedive helped drag the CAC 40 index down 104 points, or 1.8%, to 5645.29.
Still, the CAC 40 index is widely used by local funds as a benchmark, Mr. Burnand said.
The French CAC 40 index jumped 4.1% to 3, 207.12, as banks moved higher.
Financials also helped lift the CAC 40 index, which firmed 0.4% to 3594.83, its highest close since July 29.
Among other benchmarks, the French CAC 40 index added 0.6% to 3237.69, and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index firmed 0.7% to 5634.74.
In Paris the benchmark Cac 40 index was 101 points lower at 6, 094.2 and Germany's key Xetra Dax index ended 76 points down at 6, 912.9.
Frankfurt's Dax index closed 1.2% lower, while the Cac-40 index in Paris lost 1.3%.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose 0.5% to 5337.00, France's CAC-40 index ended up 0.5% at 3026.76 and Germany's DAX added 1% to 5799.91.
Germany's DAX index rose 0.9% to 7144.45, while France's CAC-40 index finished 0.4% higher at 3580.21.
On Monday, the CAC-40 Index traded relatively flat with French sovereign debt yields remaining cautiously stable.
FORBES: Possible Political Fallout From European Elections - Analyst
France's Cac-40 index was a rare exception - still losing on the year, but just half a percent.
The French CAC-40 index gained 1.1%, to 3266.27, and rose 2.4% on the week, snapping a five-week losing streak.
Not a single one on France's CAC 40 share index or on Germany's DAX index is run by a woman.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index ended down 1% at 5871.51, Germany's DAX fell 0.5% to 6856.08 and France's CAC-40 index ended nearly flat at 3452.45.
Peugeot, a founding member of the main French stock market index, the Cac-40, was demoted last year as a result of its tumbling share price.
Some of this is likely to continue, says an executive at a company listed on the CAC 40, France's index of leading firms.
Britain's FTSE 100 share index was up 0.8%, at 6, 328.20 points, France's CAC-40 was up 0.9%, at 5, 567.97, and the Dax index of 50 leading German shares was up 1.3%, at 7, 923.57 points.
The CAC-40, the blue-chip French stock market index, which includes BNP, fell 2.2%.
European markets gained, with the Stoxx Europe 600 up 0.9%, Germany's DAX index adding 1.8% and France's CAC-40 rising 1.4%.
Earlier, the major European markets had also closed down on Monday, with Germany's Dax index down 2.22% and France's Cac down 2.6%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index was up 0.40 percent, the French CAC-40 was up 0.56 percent and the German DAX opened around 0.40 percent higher.
Britain's FTSE 100 lost 0.3%, Germany's DAX index dropped 1.0%, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.6%.
应用推荐