BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were moving lower on Thursday after three days of trade negotiations between mid-level American and Chinese officials ended in Beijing without significant breakthroughs.
Investors also pondered over Brexit risks and the Fed's future path of interest rate increases.
The U.K. Parliament agreed Wednesday that the government must come up with a new Brexit plan within three days if Prime Minister Theresa May's current proposal is voted down.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was down 0.35 percent at 346.56 in opening deals after rising half a percent on Wednesday.
The German DAX was moving down 0.3 percent, France's CAC 40 index was down 0.7 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was losing 0.2 percent.
Royal Philips dropped 1.4 percent after it announced a realignment of its three reporting segments Diagnosis & Treatment, Connected Care & Health Informatics, and Personal Health.
Ericsson fell over 4 percent. The mobile telecom equipment maker Ericsson said it would book charges of 6.1 billion crowns ($687 million) for the fourth quarter.
Südzucker rallied 7 percent in Frankfurt after confirming its FY forecast.
Sodexo climbed 1.5 percent in Paris. The food services and facilities management group reported a rise in Q1 revenues and maintained FY19 objectives.
Marks & Spencer rose over 2 percent in London after backing its full-year guidance.
Debenhams slumped 8.5 percent after it reported a sharp fall in sales during the crucial Christmas trading period.
Tesco climbed 2.2 percent. The company said that its like-for-like sales in the U.K. & ROI business including Booker grew by 1.9 percent in the third quarter and 2.6 percent in the six-week Christmas period.
Premier Oil jumped 4 percent. In its trading and operations update ahead of its 2018 results, the company said its production was 7 percent ahead of last year at 80.5 kboepd.
Bicycles-to-car parts retailer Halfords Group plunged 19 percent after a profit warning.
In economic releases, France's industrial production declined in November, defying expectations for a modest increase, preliminary data from the statistical office INSEE showed.
Industrial production decreased a seasonally and working-day adjusted 1.3 percent, reversing a similar size increase in the previous month. Economists had expected production to remain unchanged.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2019 AFX News