France, Italy, Spain and Belgium banned some short-selling overnight in an attempt to stabilize stock prices. The practice was last banned in the U.S. and the U.K. shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. U.K. and European stocks fell at the open, after news that the French GDP was stagnant for the last quarter. After the dip, markets rose sharply, with the London FTSE up 3 percent, or 157 points, to 5,320. In Germany the Dax climbed 200 points, and in Paris the Cac rose 4 percent.
