Europe Markets: European stocks stumble as Ifo index drops for sixth month

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European stocks soured on Friday, continuing to recede from highs despite positive broker backing from firms including Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley.

The Stoxx Europe 600
SXXP,
-0.87%

dropped 1% in afternoon trade, and the index is now down over 3% from record highs set in November.

The European backdrop has been difficult with new coronavirus-related restrictions, notably in eurozone stalwart Germany. The Ifo business climate index, released Friday, showed sentiment in Germany falling for the sixth consecutive month, to a worse-than-forecast reading of 94.7.

“Our hopes that easing supply constraints in manufacturing and receding corona cases would be enough to stabilise confidence were dashed,” said economists at Citi.

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The German DAX
DAX,
-0.92%

fell 1.2%. The French CAC 40
PX1,
-1.27%

also lost ground while the FTSE 100
UKX,
+0.10%

was steady.

DiaSorin
DIA,
-9.35%

shares fell 12% as the Italian diagnostics firm forecast a 60% drop in COVID-19 revenue next year.