In a quarter that saw a strong rise in interest rates and a severe decrease in risk appetite, European equities closed higher on Friday, but incurred significant quarterly losses. Investors are also concerned about data that suggests that inflation on the continent will continue to rise.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended the day up 1.3%, but it had given up some of its gains during the session after data revealed that euro zone inflation had unexpectedly outperformed forecasts, hitting 10% in September, a new record.
The inflation statistic has increased the likelihood that the European Central Bank will increase interest rates significantly once more.
With profit-taking for shares that fell in the retail, oil and gas, and financial sectors, all of the sectors on the Stoxx 600 index closed the trading day higher.
The Stoxx 600 index fell by 4.8% between July and September, marking the third straight quarter of losses and possibly the longest run of such losses since 2011.
The London FTSE 100 momentarily declined before ending 0.2% ahead.
Puma and Adidas shares in Germany increased by 5.7% and 4.1%, respectively, after American rival Nike warned of pressure on profit margins.
Amid concerns about a recession, European markets report their third consecutive quarterly fall.
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