BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks edged lower on Monday after China as well as the U.S. states of Texas and North Carolina reported rising number of coronavirus infections during the weekend.
Weak factory activity and retail sales data from China also added to investor concerns about slowing global growth.
The pan European Stoxx 600 fell 1.2 percent to 349.91 on concerns over rising virus infections as many countries begin opening up after lockdowns. The index slumped as much as 5.7 percent last week.
Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality, though Spain kept its borders shut. The country would be opening borders with Europe on June 21.
The German DAX plunged 1.6 percent, France's CAC 40 index lost 1.5 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 1.4 percent.
BP Plc shares tumbled 4 percent. The energy giant announced it would make shuddering write-offs of US$13bn to US$17.5bn.
Miners lost ground after the release of weak Chinese data. Anglo American fell 3.8 percent, Antofagasta declined 1.5 percent and Glencore gave up 3.5 percent.
Leisure and travel-related stocks plunged, with TUI AG, easyJet and Lufthansa falling 4-5 percent.
Swiss sensor maker Sensirion soared 20 percent after lifting its 2020 outlook and confirming mid-term growth prospects.
Fashion retailer H&M declined 1.6 percent after its fiscal second quarter sales slumped 50 percent.
British drug major AstraZeneca rose over 1 percent. The company has signed a contract with Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance to supply up to 400 million doses of the University of Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine.
Consumer goods giant Unilever declined 1.4 percent. The company said it would invest 1 billion euros in a new Climate & Nature Fund, and will achieve net zero emissions from all its products by 2039, more than a decade ahead of the 2050 Paris Agreement.
In economic releases, the euro area trade surplus reached its lowest since late 2011 as both exports and imports logged the biggest contraction on record in April amid coronavirus pandemic, data from Eurostat showed.
The trade surplus plunged to a seasonally adjusted EUR 1.2 billion in April from EUR 25.5 billion in March. This was the lowest since October 2011.
Exports and imports decreased by a record 24.5 percent and 13 percent on month, respectively in April.
On a yearly basis, exports were down 29.3 percent and imports decreased 24.8 percent in April. The unadjusted trade surplus was EUR 2.9 billion versus EUR 15.5 billion in the same period last year.
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