1.   Chilean stocks slid today, as the closing of U.S. markets for the Memorial Day holiday dampened trading in companies that have American depository receipts.

2.   And important economic indicators published Wednesday suggested continuing economic weakness, particularly in Germany and France, and dampened trading on stock markets across Europe.

3.   Trader Mohammed al-Dhaishi said news about the arrest of plotters in an alleged failed coup in neighboring Bahrain dampened trading in the market.

4.   Such delays in selling usually had the effect of dampening speculative trading, analysts said.