BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks were moving lower on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
Closer home, infections and the number of intensive-care patients have climbed past the 'maximum alert' level, French Health Minister Olivier Veran told reporters and added that the capital and its nearby suburbs will be classified as high risk areas, if the trend continues.
Investors also await the all-important nonfarm payrolls data later today for clues about the direction of monetary policy.
The U.S. economy is forecast to have added 900,000 jobs in September, compared to 1.37 million jobs in August. The unemployment rate is projected to fall to 8.2 percent from 8.4 percent.
The benchmark CAC 40 dropped 25 points, or half a percent, to 4,799 after gaining 0.4 percent in the previous session.
Sanofi was moving lower. The pharmaceutical company said that the European Medicines Agency has accepted to review the Marketing Authorization Application of avalglucosidase alfa, an investigational enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of patients with Pompe disease.
Telecom companies Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Iliad climbed 1-3 percent after the final stage of the French 5G tender ended on 01 October.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX