The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt May 6, 2019. ― Reuters picBRUSSELS, March 29 — European stocks traded flat in a choppy session today, weighed down by Credit Suisse shares, which slumped following a warning of “significant” losses from exiting positions after a US-based hedge fund defaulted on margin calls.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged 0.01 per cent higher, mostly erasing opening gains with economy-linked mining, oil & gas and travel and leisure shares among the biggest decliners as French doctors warned a third wave of infections could soon overwhelm hospitals. The benchmark STOXX 600 has lagged its US counterpart in the past six months as new lockdowns in the continent and a slower-than-expected vaccination programme dented the economic outlook for Europe.