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Europe Markets: Wall Street tax hangover weighs on European markets

European stocks are under pressure in what could be the first weekly loss for the index in eight weeks. Read More...

European stocks struggled for traction on Friday, taking a cue from a weaker close on Wall Street sparked by reports that wealthy Americas were facing a hike in capital-gains taxes.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, -0.10% was slightly lower at 439.60, following the third-highest close in history and a gain of 0.7% on Thursday. On a weekly basis, the index is thus far down 0.7%, which would mark the first weekly fall since late February.

The German DAX DAX, -0.24% slipped 0.2%, the French CAC 40 index UKX, -0.20% rose 0.1% and the FTSE 100 index UKX, -0.20% dipped 0.2%. The pound GBPUSD, +0.27% was up about 0.3% against the U.S. dollar at $1.3882.

U.S. stock futures ES00, +0.25% NQ00, +0.18% YM00, +0.21% inched higher, hinting at a bounce for equities later. Thursday’s session left the Dow Jones Industrial Average with a 321-point loss, following a report on Bloomberg News that President Joe Biden would propose nearly doubling the capital-gain taxes rate for wealthy Americans. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.92% and Nasdaq Composite COMP, -0.94% lost 0.9% each.

There were encouraging signs in fresh European economic data. The IHS Markit eurozone purchasing managers index (PMI) composite output index rose to a nine-month high of 53.7, with the flash eurozone manufacturing output PMI at a record high and the services PMI at an eight-month high.

“In a month during which virus containment measures were tightened in the face of further waves of infections, the eurozone economy showed encouraging strength,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit.

The auto sector was leading European stock gains, with shares of Daimler DAI, +0.08% up 1.6%. The German luxury car maker increased the margin targets for its Mercedes-Benz and Mobility divisions for the year, after profit and revenue increased in the first quarter.

Remy Cointreau RCO, -0.58% reported sales rose slightly in its full fiscal year, adjusted for currency effects, as strong cognac sales lifted fourth-quarter revenue. Shares of the French drinks group slipped 0.4%. Shares of rival drinks maker Diageo DGE, -0.74% fell 1.6%.

The banking and pharmaceutical sectors were under pressure, with shares of AstraZeneca AZN, -0.75% AZN, -0.09% down over 1%. Stock in major oil companies were also weighing on the index, with shares of BP BP, -2.48% BP, -1.00% and Royal Dutch Shell RDS.A, -2.25% RDSA, -0.66% down 1.8% and 0.6%, respectively.

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