Europe: Stock markets fall at open

[LONDON] Europe's main stock markets fell further at the start of trading on Friday after heavy slides the previous day caused by lingering concerns over China and following poor company earnings.

Equities are being weighed down by a slump in commodity prices caused largely by weaker Chinese demand and by increased expectations of a long-awaited US rate hike in December.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.32 per cent to open at 6,158.93 points compared with Thursday's close.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index slipped 0.17 per cent to 10,764.57 points and the Paris CAC 40 lost 0.43 per cent to 4,835.69.

The FTSE and CAC both ended Thursday's sessions with losses of almost 2.0 per cent.

AFP