Market Overview

European stock markets opened lower on Friday, reacting to underwhelming economic data from the United Kingdom, including GDP growth, trade balance, and retail sales figures. Similarly, reports on German consumer confidence and French inflation failed to uplift the market sentiment.

Focus Shifts

Investors are now turning their attention to forthcoming data, notably Germany's unemployment rate and the Eurozone's consumer confidence indicators, hoping for positive cues.

Stock Performance

Notable declines were observed across major indexes: the DAX fell by 0.55%, with Continental AG dropping 1.75%. The FTSE 100 saw a 0.35% decrease, led by Next PLC's 1.45% slide. The CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 also experienced downturns, with significant losses from Edenred SA and Unicredit S.p.A., respectively.

Currency Movements

The euro weakened against the US dollar, trading at $1.07881, while the pound sterling remained stable at $1.29521.