European equity markets fell on Monday in a cautious session awaiting data on business activity, amid concerns about an economic slowdown in the bloc.
The easing of COVID-19 restrictions in China, following protests against the country’s strict “zero COVID” policy, as well as easing concerns about rising interest rates, had contributed to indices registering earnings for the seventh straight week on Friday.
The STOXX 600 Index was down 0.2% at 8:06 am GMT on Monday, with technology and industrial stocks suffering the most.
Final figures for the Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) due at 9am GMT are likely to show that economic activity in the Eurozone continued to slow in November.
For its part, the British group Vodafone announced that its CEO, Nick Read, will leave office at the end of this year and will be replaced on an interim basis by the financial director Margherita Della Valle. Shares of the mobile phone operator rose 1.6% in early trading.