European stocks steady at open after strong gains
LONDON: European stock markets steadied at the start of trading on Friday after strong gains across the week for global equities on US election developments.
London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index opened flat at 5,904.91 points.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index dipped 0.2 percent to 12,537.46 points and the Paris CAC 40 fell 0.3 percent to 4,968.81.
However Hong Kong stocks closed Friday slightly higher, ending a strong week on a healthy note with global markets surging as Joe Biden appears set to win the US presidency while there are also hopes for a new stimulus out of Washington.
The Hang Seng Index added 0.07 percent, or 17.05 points, to 25,712.97.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.24 percent, or 7.97 points, to 3,212.16, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China’s second exchange eased 0.77 percent, or 17.78 points, to 2282.09.