European Shares Fall, Ending 4-Day Winning Streak

European shares fell on Friday and ended a four-day winning streak after signs of disagreement from European Union (EU) leaders over how to help the region's debt-ridden banks hit financial stocks, Reuters reported. The STOXX Europe 600 Banking index was the worst-performing sector, falling 2.4 percent after Germany toughened its stance on using the region's bailout funds to directly recapitalise struggling banks. That impacted the sector and saw Spanish banks hit hard, with Bankia down 14 percent and Banco Popular down 5.3 percent. A fall in leading lender Santander also took the most points off a 2.3 percent weaker IBEX. Across Europe, the broader FTSEurofirst 300 index provisionally closed down 0.8 percent at 1,111.30 points, while the Euro STOXX 50 index of leading euro zone blue chips fell 1.5 percent to 2,536.86 points.