BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks were little changed in cautious trade on Friday as Brexit woes and a sense of uncertainty over the high-level trade negotiations between the U.S. and China kept investors nervous.
The British pound was stuck at the lower end of its recent ranges after Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded for the first time that he could not meet his Oct. 31 Brexit deadline and called for a general election.
Also, hopes faded for a resolution to the Sino-U.S. trade dispute after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence adopted a hard line in a speech Thursday laying out President Donald Trump's China policies and reiterating U.S. support for protesters in Hong Kong.
The benchmark CAC 40 was down 1 point at 5,682 after rising 0.6 percent on Thursday.
Carmaker Renault edged down slightly after its group revenue fell in the third quarter.
Gucci owner Kering jumped as much as 10 percent after its sales came in slightly above forecasts despite the turmoil in Hong Kong.
Video game developer Ubisoft plunged 21 percent after announcing delays to the release of its Watch Dogs Legion, Gods & Monsters, and Rainbow 6 Quarantine titles.
In economic releases, France's producer prices declined at a faster pace in September, data from the statistical office Insee showed.
Producer prices in domestic market fell 1 percent annually following a 0.6 percent drop. In overall market, prices were down 0.7 percent.
The decline was largely driven by an 11 percent decrease in coke and refined petroleum product prices and a 1.5 percent drop in mining and quarrying.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX