LONDON - Britain's top share index shed 1.82 percent, dragged back by weakness in banks and commodity issues as doubts about the sustainability of this summer's strong rally emerged on the first day of September. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 89.2 points lower at 4,819.7 after ending 0.8 percent higher on Friday, when it also touched a near 11-month high.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares posted their biggest one-day percentage fall in two weeks, led by banks and commodity stocks, but analysts said the market was likely to resume its climb after a period of consolidation. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended 1.8 percent down at 954.15 points, the lowest closing level since Aug. 20. The index is up 15 percent this year and has jumped 48 percent from a record low in March.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,327.29 points, down 137.32 or 2.51 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,583.44 points, down 70.1 or 1.92 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,128.17 points, down 88.95 or 1.43 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,405.21 points, down 436.14 or 1.91 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei stock average drifted higher in choppy trade, helped by gains in Shanghai shares, although rises were limited by the yen's advance against the dollar and jitters ahead of US economic data. The benchmark Nikkei gained 0.36 percent or 37.53 points to 10,530.06 after dancing in and out of negative territory during morning trade, with futures leading activity.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Share markets steadied, staying rangebound after the recent rout, as positive manufacturing data put the spotlight on the mainland's still robust economic recovery story. The Hang Seng Index finished 148.11 points or 0.75 percent higher at 19,872.3.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks rose 0.79 percent to a fresh 10-month closing high, boosted by gains in financial stocks such as Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and by positive comments from the central bank. The S&P/ASX 200 index gained 35.5 points to 4,514.6, its highest close since Oct 7. The index had fallen 0.2 percent on Monday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's bourse fell for a second day, knocked by AngloGold after it announced a share issue, but ended off the day's worst levels as manufacturing data in the US lifted confidence about the global economy. The All-share index closed at 24,812.2 points, down 117.22 or 0.47 percent.