The Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped about 0.6 per cent, taking some of the luster off what was shaping to be the biggest January gain on record, after data showed a surprise contraction of the German economy in the fourth quarter. Technology stocks led the decline as Prosus NV slumped more than 5 per cent after a rout in Hong Kong's tech sector.
Contracts on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 declined. Wall Street advanced on Friday as traders brushed off disappointing outlooks from some of the world's largest technology companies to push the Nasdaq 100 up one per cent, heading for its best start to the year since 1999. “For the next step of the rally I think we need more and that will really be to prove not only that we are not having a profound earnings recession, but also that companies can remain robust through this challenging period,” said Marcus Morris-Eyton, portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors, on Bloomberg TV. “I would urge investors to be selective, but generally we are relatively bullish on where we are currently.
A report Friday showed the Fed's preferred inflation measures eased in December to the slowest annual pace in over a year and spending fell. Separate data from the University of Michigan showed U.S. inflation expectations continued to retreat in late January, helping boost consumer sentiment.