Swiss stocks retreated on Monday, paring two week gains after the European Central Bank rejected a possibility of setting yield limits on each country's debt.
U.K. stocks fell on Monday weighted by a decline in banks. The FTSE 100 Index edged lower 0.5 per cent, or 28.05 points to 5,824.37.
U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday ahead of Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker visit to Greece tomorrow.
Greece, Spain and Italy are only halfway through implementing reforms and adjusting the economic imbalances, said the Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday.
Japanese stocks closed mixed on Monday after a report showed home prices in China are rising, a sign the government may refrain from easing policy.
Swiss stocks rose further on Friday amid optimism law makers will take measures to help Eurozone banks.
U.K. house prices fell 2.4 per cent to 236,260 pounds in August, said the Rightmove Plc, owner of the U.K.'s largest residential property Web site on Monday.
The difference between U.S. bank loans and deposits is increasing, providing more room for lenders to purchase government securities. Deposits rose 3.3 per cent to 8.88 trillion dollars in the two months ended July 31 and lending to businesses rose 0.7 per cent to 7.11 trillion dollars, Federal Reserve data show.
The single currency index rose on Monday, extending the previous week's gains amid speculations the European Central Bank considers setting yield limits on each country's debt.
Japanese stocks advanced on Friday after German Chancellor Angela Merkel signalled support for a European Central Bank plan to combat the debt crisis.
Swiss stocks gained on Thursday on better than expected U.K. retail sales and U.S. building permits data.
U.K. retail sales rose by 0.3 per cent in July and the Office for National Statistics revised June's sales to 0.8 per cent from 0.1 per cent. Retail sales volumes rose 2.8 per cent compared to the same period the previous year.
The number of Americans claiming for unemployment benefits rose slightly to 366,000 in the week ended August 11 from an upwardly revised 364,000 the week before, said the Department of Labor on Thursday.
Consumer prices in the Eurozone were unchanged in July, said the European statistics office on Thursday. Year-on-year inflation remained at 2.4 per cent, above the ECB's target of 2 per cent. Month-on-month prices fell 0.5 per cent, after declining 0.1 per cent in June.
Japanese stocks rose after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said there is more room to adjust monetary policy.
Swiss stocks rose on Wednesday after manufacturing in the New York region contracted more than economists forecast.
U.K. unemployment fell to its lowest level in almost a year as the Olympic games created temporary jobs. Unemployment declined by 46,000 in the second quarter to 8 per cent, said the Office for National Statistics.
U.S. factory output rose by more than expected, a sign the economy is expanding. Industrial production increased by 0.6 per cent in July, after adding 0.1 per cent the previous month, said the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.
European stocks closed lower on Wednesday after a report showed manufacturing in New York state contracted more than expected.
Japanese stocks closed lower on Wednesday after the European statistical office said the euro-area economy shrunk in the second quarter.
Swiss stocks rose on Tuesday after a report showed German economy rose 0.3 per cent in the second quarter.
U.K. inflation accelerated in July, official data showed on Tuesday. An index measuring consumer prices rose at an annualized rate of 2.6 per cent, compared with an increase of 2.4 per cent in June, said the Office for National Statistics.
U.S. retail sales rose more than economists forecast in July. Sales at retailers gained 0.8 per cent to a seasonally adjusted $403.9 billion, said the Commerce Department on Tuesday. Compared with July 2011, sales increased by 4.1 per cent.
German investor confidence deteriorated in August, a ZEW university poll showed on Tuesday. An index of sentiment fell to minus 25.5 from minus 19.6 in July, below a median forecast of minus 19.4. Earlier the same day a report showed German economic growth slowed to 0.3 per cent in the second quarter.