Investing.com – European stocks were down on Wednesday, amid losses in the commodity sector and after mixed corporate earnings results. Meanwhile, U.S. futures indices pointed to a lower open.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.23%; France’s CAC 40 fell 0.21% while Germany's DAX was down 0.01%.
In the corporate sector, shares in Danish wind-turbine firm Vestas Wind Systems plunged 20.38% after the firm reported its second consecutive second-quarter losses and revised down its annual sales forecast.
But shares in Danish conglomerate A.P. Moeller-Maersk advanced 2.10% after the group reported a larger than-expected first-half profit and revised up its earning outlook for 2010.
In London, the commodity heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.41% as shares in Australian mining giant BHP Billiton fell 2.40% after the company said it will go hostile with its $38.6 billion bid for Canada's Potash Corporation.
Elsewhere in the commodity sector, Eurasian Natural Resources Group's shares tumbled 3.15% after the group reported first-half profits rose but said the outlook for the commodity sector remains volatile in the near-term.
Meanwhile, crude oil prices shed 0.67% to hit USD 75.25 a barrel.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was downbeat: Dow Jones Industrial Average futures indicated a slide of 0.19%, S&P 500 futures pointed to a loss of 0.06% and Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a decrease of 0.22%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce data on crude oil inventories.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.23%; France’s CAC 40 fell 0.21% while Germany's DAX was down 0.01%.
In the corporate sector, shares in Danish wind-turbine firm Vestas Wind Systems plunged 20.38% after the firm reported its second consecutive second-quarter losses and revised down its annual sales forecast.
But shares in Danish conglomerate A.P. Moeller-Maersk advanced 2.10% after the group reported a larger than-expected first-half profit and revised up its earning outlook for 2010.
In London, the commodity heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.41% as shares in Australian mining giant BHP Billiton fell 2.40% after the company said it will go hostile with its $38.6 billion bid for Canada's Potash Corporation.
Elsewhere in the commodity sector, Eurasian Natural Resources Group's shares tumbled 3.15% after the group reported first-half profits rose but said the outlook for the commodity sector remains volatile in the near-term.
Meanwhile, crude oil prices shed 0.67% to hit USD 75.25 a barrel.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was downbeat: Dow Jones Industrial Average futures indicated a slide of 0.19%, S&P 500 futures pointed to a loss of 0.06% and Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a decrease of 0.22%.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce data on crude oil inventories.