BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are seen opening lower on Friday after the release of disappointing Chinese data.
Official data showed that China's industrial production grew 4.8 percent on a yearly basis in July, the same rate of growth as seen in June and weaker than the expected rise of 5.1 percent.
Retail sales dropped 1.1 percent from last year, confounding expectations for an increase of 0.1 percent.
During January to July period, fixed asset investment decreased 1.6 percent versus a 3.1 percent decrease in January to June.
Eurostat is set to publish euro area flash GDP estimate for the second quarter later in the session. According to preliminary estimate, the currency bloc contracted 12.1 percent.
The euro area foreign trade data is also due. The trade surplus is forecast to rise to EUR 12.6 billion in June from EUR 9.4 billion in May.
Across the Atlantic, trading later in the day may be impacted by reaction to a slew of U.S. economic data on retail sales, industrial production and consumer sentiment.
Asian markets are broadly lower while gold ticked higher on dollar weakness amid worries about a delay in U.S. fiscal stimulus. Oil prices rose and were heading for a second week of gains.
U.S. stocks ended mixed overnight as investors weighed positive jobless claims data against an impasse over a coronavirus relief bill.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3 percent and the S&P 500 eased 0.2 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.3 percent.
European markets broke a four-day winning streak on Thursday as stimulus talks sputtered in Washington and the U.S. said it will hold off a threatened hike in tariffs on $7.5bn (£5.75bn) worth of European and U.K. goods.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index gave up 0.6 percent. The German DAX shed half a percent, France's CAC 40 index declined 0.6 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 lost 1.5 percent.
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