BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were moving lower on Thursday as investors digested a mixed set of earnings results and reacted to the Federal Reserve statement.
The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage point, as widely expected, but indicated it is ready to hold off on further rate cuts for now.
Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan signaled further monetary easing going forward.
The pan European Stoxx 600 was down 0.4 percent at 397.14 after edging down 0.1 percent the previous day.
The German DAX was losing 0.6 percent, France's CAC 40 index declined half a percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down as much as 0.8 percent.
Dutch semiconductor supplier ASM International jumped nearly 9 percent after forecasting a rise in fourth-quarter sales.
Professional kitchen specialist Rational AG climbed 6.2 percent. The company backed its FY view after reporting a 14 percent rise in profit after taxes for nine months.
Peugeot slumped 11.6 percent. The French automotive manufacturer and Fiat Chrysler have confirmed a deal to merge in order to create the world's fourth-largest automaker. Shares of the latter soared 9 percent.
French aerospace company Safran advanced 2 percent after reporting a rise in its third-quarter adjusted revenue.
Air France-KLM lost 3.3 percent after its third-quarter operating result fell 15.5 percent from the third quarter 2018, impacted by trading environment and fuel bill increase.
Lender HSBC Holdings dropped 1 percent as it lowered its Hong Kong prime lending rate for the first time in 11 years, underscoring the economic challenges facing the country.
Lloyds Banking Group fell over 2 percent after reporting a 97 percent plunge in pre-tax profit for the third quarter from last year. The company also said its Chief Operating Officer, Juan Colombas, plans to retire from the Group in July 2020.
BP Plc and Tullow Oil fell over 1 percent each as oil prices fluctuated after the release of weak PMI data from China.
Royal Dutch Shell tumbled 3 percent after it warned that a slowing global economy could slow its $25 billion share buyback program.
DS Smith declined 1.3 percent. The corrugated packaging giant said that the industry and business trends have remained consistent with the company's earlier trading update of 3 September 2019.
Shares of carpet and floor coverings retailer Carpetright plunged as much as 47 percent. Having explored the viability of various long-term financing solutions to repay its debt facilities, the company said it is in talks with Meditor on a possible offer by Meditor to acquire all of the issued and to be issued shares of Carpetright.
In economic releases, Germany retail sales grew at a faster pace in September, data from Destatis revealed.
Driven by non-food product sales, turnover in retail trade increased 3.4 percent year-on-year in September, following a 3.1 percent rise in August. The rate came in line with expectations.
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