Europe: Stock markets drop at open

[LONDON] European stock markets dropped at the start of trading on Monday, brushing aside strong Asian gains following a partial trade deal between China and the United States.

Meanwhile the pound was down around half a per cent against the euro and dollar at the start of a pivotal week for Britain and the European Union to strike a Brexit deal.

In stocks trading, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index fell 0.2 per cent at the open to 7,230.17 points.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.4 per cent to 12,460.87 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.4 per cent to 5,640.78.

AFP