European stocks pared earlier losses before reports on U.S. jobs and German industrial output. U.S. futures were little changed, while Asian shares fell.
Peugeot SA (UG) retreated after it reported sales dropped in the first half. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBVA) slid after HSBC Holdings Plc downgraded its shares. Air France-KLM gained after reporting higher passenger traffic.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index lost 0.1 percent to 256.63 at 9:26 a.m. in London, after falling as much as 0.4 percent. The equity benchmark is still headed for a fifth-straight week of gains, its longest winning streak since January. The gauge has climbed 9.4 percent from this year’s low on June 4 amid speculation that central banks would ease monetary policy. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures slipped 0.1 percent, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.4 percent.
“The U.S. jobs report will be the focal point today as a weak figure could signal additional stimulus by the Federal Reserve in their next meeting,” Jonathan Sudaria, a dealer at Capital Spreads in London, wrote in a note.
The U.S. Labor Department will release its monthly jobs report at 8:30 a.m. in Washington. Private jobs increased by 106,000 and total non-farm payrolls climbed 100,000 in June, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. The jobless rate probably held at 8.2 percent in June from the previous month, another survey projected, Bloomberg reported.
