After opening largely flat, the pan-European STOXX 600 index lost ground as the session wore on, with personal & household goods makers, miners, automakers and banks leading declines. — Reuters pic
The benchmark index closed down 0.8 per cent, with trading volumes thin because of a US market holiday. The index logged a 2 per cent weekly gain. “For this, clearer signs of a recovery in international trade should be visible. The data on this is constructive, but not surprising to the upside.” But there are doubts about the pace of the recovery with some countries in Europe reimposing restrictions due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.