London: The European shares eased today as heavyweight energy and healthcare stocks lost ground, while investors weighed the potential impact of a US government shutdown that could delay the release of the closely-watched monthly jobs data.
According to Oman News Agency, the pan-European STOXX 600 slipped 0.2% to 554.7 points, though it is set for its third successive monthly gain and a more than 2% gain for the quarter. Heavyweight oil and gas stocks dipped 0.8%, tracking declining oil prices. France’s TotalEnergies and UK’s BP fell more than 1% each. Healthcare stocks also shed 0.3%, with Denmark’s Novo Nordisk and the UK’s AstraZeneca down about 1% each.
On the economic data front in Europe, the UK economy grew 0.3% in the second quarter, French preliminary inflation stood at 1.1% in September, and German retail sales unexpectedly fell in August. Britain’s ASOS slid 11.4%.