European stocks were little changed as investors awaited a monthly U.S. jobs report and assessed the latest development in the investigation into possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was steady at 378.78 at 8:30 a.m. in London. U.S. equities fell late Thursday after a report that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is using a federal grand jury in Washington to help collect information as he probes Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion by the president’s campaign associates.
European stocks are poised to end the week flat, having alternated between gains and losses in recent sessions. German shares have fared worse, set for a third weekly decline. The benchmark DAX Index has underperformed regional peers since a record in June.
- A Labor Department release later today is forecast to show U.S. payrolls grew at a slower pace in July from a month earlier, while the unemployment rate dropped.
- Among shares active on earnings reports, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc climbed 3.5 percent after posting better-than-expected quarterly profit.
- Swiss Re AG dropped 3.4 percent as the reinsurer reported a decline in earnings as pricing pressures continued to weigh on margins.