BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS: The major European markets closed lower on Monday, weighed down by growth concerns after data showed the Chinese economy grew at a slower-than-expected pace in the second quarter, reported dpa-AFX.
China’s GDP logged annual growth of 6.3 per cent in the second quarter, faster than the 4.5 per cent expansion in the first quarter, data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed. However, this was weaker than economists’ forecast of 7.3 per cent.
Investors also awaited some key economic data and earnings updates from the US and Europe.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended 0.63 per cent down. The UK’s FTSE 100 closed lower by 0.38 per cent, Germany’s DAX ended down 0.23 per cent and France’s CAC 40 lost 1.12 per cent, while Switzerland’s SMI declined 1.21 per cent.
Other markets in Europe ended mixed. Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden ended weakly. Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and Turkey closed higher, while Spain ended flat. - Bernama