Investing.com - European stocks opened lower on Monday, after mixed Chinese manufacturing data added to global growth concerns.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.46%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.35%, while Germany’s DAX 30 slipped 0.17%.
Markets were jittery after data on Sunday showed that China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index remained in contraction territory at 49.8 this month, unchanged from September and disappointing expectations for a rise to 50.0
Earlier Monday, data showed that China's Caixin manufacturing PMI rose to 48.3 in October from 47.2 the previous month, beating expectations for an uptick 47.5.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) declined 0.59% and 0.85%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) edged down 0.18%.
Commerzbank AG (DE:CBKG) overperformed, with shares rallying 2.17% after the German lender said third-quarter earnings climbed 25%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) retreated 0.82% and 1.45%, while Spanish bank Banco Santander (MC:SAN) slid 0.47%.
In London, FTSE 100 slid 0.40%, weighed by Ryanair Hldgs (L:RYA), whose shares tumbled 1.56% even after saying it expects to post annual profits at the upper end of its forecast range.
Mining stocks were also lower, with Rio Tinto (L:RIO) declining 0.30% and Antofagasta (L:ANTO) dropped 0.57%, while Anglo American (L:AAL) retreated 0.66%.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were mixed. Shares in Lloyds Banking (L:LLOY) fell 0.24% and HSBC Holdings (L:HSBA) lost 1.36%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (L:RBS) and Barclays (L:BARC) rose 0.24% and 0.37% respectively.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.21% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.29% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.18% loss.