Summary In foreign exchange trading, the euro fell to $1.2843 from $1.2850 late in New York on Tuesday.
LONDON (AFP) - European equities mainly steadied on Wednesday a day after tumbling on a sharp slowdown for business activity in the eurozone, dealers said.
London s benchmark FTSE 100 index eased 0.07 percent to stand at 6,671.23 points around midday in the British capital.
Frankfurt s DAX 30 index edged up 0.06 percent to 9,600.41 points and in Paris the CAC 40 won 0.51 percent to 4,381.52 points, compared with Tuesday s closing level.
"Sentiment is still downbeat due to the heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the mounting concerns about the health of the eurozone economy," said Fawad Razaqzada, technical analyst at trading group Forex.com.
"An even bigger concern is that once the Fed s QE (stimulus) programme ends next month, a major source of support for global equities will thus be withdrawn. What s more, many fear that the global economy is not strong enough to justify stocks at these lofty levels."
In foreign exchange trading, the euro fell to $1.2843 from $1.2850 late in New York on Tuesday.
The single currency dropped also versus the British pound, to 78.29 pence against 78.40 pence on Tuesday. The pound jumped to $1.6404 from $1.6389.
The price of gold nudged higher to $1,222.39 an ounce from $1,222 on the London Bullion Market on Tuesday.
Asian markets closed mixed on Wednesday as bargain-buying was offset by the effects of Tuesday s sell-off in New York and Europe in response to fresh data indicating weakness in the eurozone.
US investors followed their European colleagues into retreat on Tuesday after a closely watched gauge of business activity in the 18-nation eurozone slipped again in September, fanning worries about the region s stuttering recovery.
The Markit Economics composite purchasing managers index (PMI) saw a second consecutive fall in September, hitting a nine-month low of 52.3 from 52.5 points in August. A reading above 50 suggests growth and anything below points to a contraction.
Meanwhile in company movement on Wednesday, confusion swirled over Air France s plan for its low-cost subsidiary that has been at the heart of a bitter and costly strike, as the government and management contradicted each other within minutes.
As the strike at Europe s second-biggest flag carrier stretched into its 10th day, Transport Minister Alain Vidalies told French radio the airline had scrapped plans to expand its Transavia budget subsidiary.
But within minutes, an Air France spokesman told AFP it was "premature" to say the airline had buried the plans to develop its budget subsidiary, which it sees as vital to survive in the cut-throat world of low-cost aviation.
Shares in the wider Air France-KLM group were up 1.86 percent to 7.66 euros in Wednesday trading.
