In European equities markets on Friday, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 ended the day and the week higher, gaining 0.6 percent on the day and the same amount on the week to close at 1,213.86.

However, with elections scheduled for Sunday in Germany, the Xetra Dax was down 0.4 percent for the week to 4,986.50 as uncertainty over the outcome remained a concern for many.

Takeover rumors provided most of the non-election interest during the week. Danone, the French food group, saw sharp gains in its shares Friday on the announcement that the French government would discontinue its efforts to protect the company from takeover attempts.

Earlier in the year when rumors that Pepsico would bid for Danone, the French president said that the government would protect the company, but the French industry minister has now said that the company must defend itself. While Danone lost 0.2 percent for the week, it gained 2.3 percent on Friday to €92.60 at the close.

In the defence sector, defence electronics group Thales and aerospace group EADS both benefited from rumors that EADS would bid for Thales. Thales gained 2.2 percent to €38.44, while EADS was up 0.4 percent to €28.30.

Meanwhile, in the telecommunications sector, Nokia added 3.2 percent to €13.49 after it adjusted its third-quarter sales and profit estimates upward.

In the London equities markets, both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 finished both the day and the week on a positive note. The FTSE 100 gained 0.4 percent on the day and 0.9 percent on the week to 5,407.9 at the close of trade on Friday. The FTSE 250 was up 0.4 percent for the day and 0.6 percent for the week to 7,901.6.

Volume was a very high 4.1 billion shares traded, explained by a double witching hour in which both stock options and index futures on the main index expired.

Miners were up on the day as gold reached a 17-year high. BHP Billiton and Anglo Pacific each gained 3.2 percent, to 873½p and 129½p respectively. Rio Tinto was up 3.8 percent on the day and 10 percent on the week to £21.49, while Anglo American advanced by 5.1 percent to £15.54.

Mergers and acquisitions rumors in the aerospace and defence sectors benefited defence group BAE Systems and jet engine maker Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce gained 3.4 percent to 370¾p and BAE was up 1.5 percent to 338p.

Among declining stocks, Shire Pharmaceuticals lost 1.5 percent to 685p after a downgrade to “neutral” by UBS.

The London equity markets were mixed on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 falling by 0.3 percent at the close to 5,300.2 even as the FTSE 250 added 0.2 percent to end the session at 7,707.4 on a volume of 2.4 billion shares traded.

British Airways lost 1.6 percent to 285 ¼p as analysts began to assess the damages to the air carrier incurred by the caterer’s walkout at Heathrow airport. One analyst said that BA could have its profits for the year cut by as much as £40 million.

Rolls Royce lost 0.1 percent to 341 ¼p after the announcement that it had won a joint contract worth $2.4 billion in conjunction with General Electric to develop new engines for the joint strike fighter, becoming part of the costliest military project in history.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Acambis gained 4.1 percent to 255p on the announcement that it has successfully concluded phase II trials on a treatment for Japanese Encephalitis.

In the mining sector, Antofagasta added 1.5 percent to £14.91 on the possibility of more merger and acquisition activity involving the Chilean miner in the wake of the death last week of its former chairman and largest shareholder. Another factor in the company’s advance was the raised interim profits forecasts for 2006, up 43 percent to $341 million due to record copper prices.

The New York equities markets found themselves at the end of the week almost exactly where they had started on Monday, losing early gains despite a group of positive reports on the US economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6 percent on Friday to close the week at 10,640.91, the Nadsaq also lost 0.6 percent to end at 2,184.83, and the S&P 500 declined by 0.8 percent to 1,234.18.

Amazon led the gainers on the week, with an advance of 19 percent to close at $45.15. Wendy’s International did very well, too, with a gain of 14.2 percent to $51.70, as it said Friday it would sell as much as 18 percent of its Tim Horton chain of coffee and donut shops in an initial public offering.

On the down side, Delta Airlines lost nearly 15 percent during the week to $2.96 after a warning that the air carrier is fighting to keep its head above water.

In the oil sector, Chevron reported a 10 percent decline in income as it tries to fight off CNOOC to purchase Unocal. The value of Chevron’s shares declined by 1.6 percent to $58.01.

Exxon Mobil was about even for the week but has gained nearly 15 percent since the beginning of the year, closing at $58.75. Royal Dutch Shell reported earnings above expectations and saw its shares rise by 1.5 percent to $61.28 on Friday.

In the aerospace sector, Boeing reported better than expected earnings in the second quarter, and even though profits fell 7 percent the airplane manufacturer upped its earnings outlook for the year.

While Boeing’s shares were flat at its close at $66.01, share value is up by more than 27 percent since the beginning of the year.

In London on Thursday, the FTSE 100 gained 1 percent to 5,270.30 and the FTSE 250 was up 0.3 percent to 5,270.30 on a volume 0f 2.9 billion shares traded.

Engine maker Rolls Royce gained 9.6 percent to 342p on record orders and plans to raise its dividend for the first time since 2001, as well as on a number of upgrades by analysts.

Elsewhere in the aerospace sector, BAE Systems gained 2.2 percent to 308 ¼p, Smiths Group was up 1.1 percent to 957 ½p, and Meggitt advanced by 5.1 percent to 310 ½p.

Royal Dutch Shell missed second quarter expectations despite a profit of over $5 billion. It’s “B” shares were down 1.7 percent to £17.59. Telecommunications group BT lost 2.6 percent to 229p on a mixed second quarter report.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Shire Pharmaceuticals all issued quarterly reports. On the results, AstraZeneca gained 5.6 percent to £24.80 and GlaxoSmithKline was up 0.9 percent to £13.40, but Shire Pharmaceuticals ended even at 655p.

Among mid-cap stocks, CSR gained 14.3 percent to 512p on a better-than-expected earnings guidance and acquisition of the software component of UbiNetics Holdings.

EasyJet lost 3.1 percent to 247p on a downgrade by ABN Amro, which used the threat of terrorism as one reason for the drop in the budget air carrier’s rating.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.3 percent to 1,173.83 on a group of new quarterly results after having risen to 1,174.86 earlier in the day.

UCB, the Belgian pharmaceutical company, reported positive results from trials of the drug Cimzia in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, a disorder of the digestive tract. This result sent shares in UCB up 7 percent to €44.30.

In the technology sector, STMicroelectronics reported that its second quarter profits were down by 82 percent on weak sales and high restructuring costs. The report sent shares in the company down 2.6 percent to €14.38.

Others in the sector didn’t do any better on the day as Infineon was down 2.9 percent to €8.11 and ASML Holding lost 1.7 percent to €14.38. Nokia had a good day, however, gaining 1.6 percent to €13.10.

European aerospace and defense group EADS reported €1.54 billion in first-half core earnings, a jump of 57 percent. Shares were up 3.3 percent to €27.65. EADS also raised its per share earnings target for the year from €1.36 to €1.5.

Also reporting quarterly earnings was DSM, the Dutch chemicals group. It said its quarterly profits rose 43 percent to €217 million on lower costs, higher margins, and a strategic acquisition. Shares in DSM were up 2.5 percent on the day to €62.35.

Equities markets in New York were up on Wednesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.54 percent to 10,637.09, the Nasdaq composite was up 0.47 percent to 2,186.22, and the S&P 500 advanced by 0.46 percent to 1,236.79.

The telecommunications sector was the most successful on the day, advancing as a while by 1.2 percent on Sprint’s better-than-expected quarterly report, which showed earnings more than doubling on wireless growth. Shares in Sprint gained 3.7 percent to $25.90.

Amazon reported that second quarter net income was down 32 percent due to tax charges that overtook higher sales. However, because investors had been expecting worse news and because profit margins were up, the company’s shares were up by 12.4 percent in early trade to $42.32.

Boeing also reported it’s quarterly earnings, which topped expectations even though profits fell by 7 percent in the quarter. The aerospace company raised its outlook for the third quarter and by early afternoon shares were up 1.5 percent to $67.35.

Restructuring costs caused household goods group Colgate-Palmolive’s earnings to fall in the second quarter. Even through earnings were at 62 cents per share, down from 66 cents per share a year earlier, C-P’s shares advanced 0.6 percent to $52.05.