Amsterdam share prices fell sharply for the third day in a row on Wednesday, pressured by the financial crisis in the US.

The Amsterdam blue-chip AEX index closed down 3.8% at 356.98 points, its lowest level since May 2005, the Financieele Dagblad reported.
Financial stocks were hardest hit. Fortis lost 10% to close at €6.69. Aegon was down 6% and ING 4.9%.
The Telegraaf reports that Amsterdam was hit harder than many other European exchanges, where losses were around the 2% mark.