Around the World's Markets: Frankfurt

TAKEOVER TALK surrounding Mannesmann helped limit the fall-out from the ruling against Microsoft to leave the German stock market slightly down.

The DAX 30 index closed 0.18 per cent lower at 5,647.94 points.

Mannesmann rose 2.67 per cent after a newspaper reported that Vodafone Airtouch was talking to France Telecom about launching a joint takeover bid for the German group. "This is absolutely not new," one trader said of the speculation.