European stocks struggle to bounce back from rout

European stock markets struggled Tuesday to find a solid footing after a massive sell-off worldwide as fresh fears for the banking sector sent traders hunting for safe investments. European indices were mostly lower heading into midday but losses were less sharp than evident during the previous session. Following heavy falls also on Wall Street, Asia picked up the baton Tuesday, resulting in Tokyo's main index plunging more than 5.0 percent as investors sought the safety of the yen.