London - European stock markets steadied at the start of trading on Tuesday after sharp falls the previous session on banking sector worries and general concerns surrounding the global economy.
London's FTSE 100 benchmark index rose 0.2% to 5 702.6 points compared with the close on Monday.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index was virtually unchanged at 8 980.7 points and the Paris CAC 40 edged up 0.2% to 4 072.3.
The Paris and Frankfurt exchanges had lost more than 3.0% on Monday, London gave up close to 3.0%, while Milan slumped almost 5.0% and Athens around 8.0%.