Europe: Stocks retreat at open

[LONDON] Europe's main stock markets dropped at the start of trading on Wednesday following a fall in Tokyo.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index lost 0.4 per cent to 6,825.81 points compared with the close on Tuesday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 slid 0.2 per cent to 10,676.90 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.6 per cent to open at 4,443.38.

The DAX had shot higher Tuesday to close up 2.5 per cent, as Germany's trade surplus beat expectations to shrink only slightly in June after exports had returned to growth.

AFP