Compass' bad news and slide lead lower markets across EU

European markets all weakened on Friday, with the world's largest caterer Compass sliding in London on news of a corruption probe.

The London FTSE shed 0.42 percent to close at 5,142.1 points, while in Frankfurt the DAX 30 fell 0.53 percent to 4,838.40 and in Paris the CAC 40 dropped 0.55 percent to 4,366.52.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone shares fell 0.42 percent to 3271.05.

US traded mixed on Friday as disappointing earnings by mining equipment maker giant Caterpillar weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

But the broader market gained ground after results from Internet search giant Google Inc sharply exceeded analyst expectations.

In London, Compass Group shares was the top FTSE 100 faller on Friday, shedding 5.79 percent to close at £17.50 after the UK caterer said it had launched a probe and suspended two of its regional heads amid allegations of corruption over UN contracts.

Meanwhile shares in Rentokil lost 2.25 percent at £15.17 after Raphoe Management, a bid vehicle of Gerry Robinson, said it had ended its talks with shareholders of the UK group.

In Paris, share prices closed lower on nervousness about US inflation, with investors reluctant to hold their positions over the weekend, dealers said.

Technology bucked the trend on the CAC 40 with some gains, which dealers attributed to strong third-quarter results from Ericsson and Google.

Building group Saint-Gobain showed the largest percentage loss, closing down 1.78 percent at 45.91 euros.

In Frankfurt, engineering conglomerate Linde was the worst performer on the Dax 30 index, sliding 2.91 percent to 58.30 euros, with dealers pointing to a weak chart and a large amount of stop-loss orders to explain the drop.

Elsewhere were declines of 0.13 percent to 10,368.8 on the Ibex-35 in Madrid, 0.50 percent to 3,239.14 on the Bel-20 in Brussels, 0.77 percent to 386.08 on the AEX in Amsterdam, a rise of 0.36 percent to 32,454 on the SP/Mib in Milan and a decline of 0.49 percent to 6,851.61 on the Swiss Market Index.