Investing.com - European stocks slid lower on Friday, despite the release of mostly positive economic reports from Germany and France, as investors still awaited upcoming data for the entire euro zone.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.54%, France’s CAC 40 slid 0.67%, while Germany’s DAX 30 fell 0.23%.
Research group Markit said its German manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 54.3 in September from 53.6 the previous month, beating expectations for a downtick to 53.1.
However, the German services PMI slipped to 50.6 this month from 51.7 in August.
Markit also reported that its French manufacturing PMI increased to 49.5 in September from 48.3 in August, compared to expectations for a rise to 48.4.
The French services PMI advanced to 54.1 this month from 52.3 in August.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) lost 0.88% and 1.37%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) declined 0.05% and 1.11%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) slid 0.38% and 0.67% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MC:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) dropped 0.62% and 0.83%.
Elsewhere, E.ON SE (DE:EONGn) shares tumbled 1.14% following news the German utility company will be paying more than £3 million to customers and charities after it missed appointments with thousands of customers and then failed to compensate them.
French rival Engie SA (PA:ENGIE) was down 0.65% following reports earlier in the week that Brussels has opened an investigation into Luxembourg’s tax arrangements with the company.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 slid 0.36%, weighed by losses in the mining sector.
Shares in Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) dropped 0.60% and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) declined 0.64%, while Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) tumbled 1.68% and Fresnillo (LON:FRES) plunged 2.00%.
Financial stocks were also on the downside, as the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) retreated 0.97% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) lost 1.02%, while Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) and Barclays (LON:BARC) plummeted 1.12% and 1.13% respectively.
Meanwhile, Persimmon (LON:PSN) was one of the top performers on the index, with shares surging 3.40% after analysts at Liberum upgraded their rating on the stock to ‘buy’ from ‘hold.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.15% fall, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.17% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.10% slip.