Europe stocks retreat after two days of gains
LONDON (MarketWatch) — European stock markets on Friday retreated after two days in positive territory, with drug makers and oil firms adding the most pressure. The Stoxx Europe 600 index slipped 0.2% to 288.35, after closing at its highest level since February 2011 on Thursday. Shares of Swiss drug maker Novartis AG shed 0.5%, while British peer GlaxoSmithKline PLC lost 0.4%. Among oil firms, BP PLC gave up 0.8% and BG Group PLC tripped 0.3%. The FTSE 100 index traded 0.1% lower at 6,257.24, while France’s CAC 40 index was up 0.1% at 3,745.58. Germany’s DAX 30 index gained 0.2% to 7,759.85.
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