LONDON, Aug 26: European stock exchanges faltered on Friday, hammered by persistent oil price fears, disappointing data from the United States and another warning from Fed chief Alan Greenspan about prospects for the red-hot US housing market.

The London FTSE 100 index fell 0.53 per cent to 5,228.1 while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 0.82 per cent to close at 4,342.70. In Frankfurt the DAX shed 1.49 per cent to end the week at 4,783.80.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone shares gave up 1.06 per cent and closed at 3,224.10.—AFP