EU STOCK MARKET
European shares closed mixed on Monday. Today Novartis agreed to buy German generics drug maker Hexal and U.S.-based Eon Labs.
In U.K.: Shell rose 1.59% to 495.25. Barclays Bank fell 0.24% to 612.50. Diageo was up 0.33% to 754.50. HSBC slid 0.39% to 896.50. Vodafone fell 0.36% to 140.25. Unilever fell 0.44% to 503.50.
In Germany: Bayer rose 1.25% to 26.75. Infineon added 0.81% to 7.51. SAP slid 0.80% to 122.00. Allianz fell 1.50% to 92.81. Deutsche Bank fell 1.02% to 66.71. BMW slipped 0.28% to 32.62. DaimlerChrysler declined 0.06% to 35.46.
In France: Alcatel added 0.53% to 9.56. BNP Paribas declined 1.53% to 54.55. EADS rose 0.82% to 24.58. Renault rose 0.22% to 69.05. France Telecom slipped 1.18% to 23.36. Danone rose 0.27% to 74.20.
FOREX
In the currency market, the euro slid to $1.3065 from $1.3074 in New York late Friday. The dollar fell to 105.55 yen, from $105.63 yen.