European stocks inched lower on Thursday as energy and automakers’ shares slipped, with investors focused on a European Central Bank meeting later in the day.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index slipped 0.1 per cent by 0713 GMT, snapping a four-day winning streak. Automakers slid nearly 1 per cent, while oil and gas sector shed 0.9 per cent.
Euro zone stocks fell 0.2 per cent, ahead of the ECB policy decision and its projections for economic growth and inflation. The statement is due at 1145 GMT.
UK’s FTSE 100 got a boost from a 2.2 per cent jump in BT Group after U.S. firm Altice Group said it had taken a 12.1 per cent stake in Britain’s biggest broadband and mobile operator.
French digital music company Believe, which helps to distribute music via deals with platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, dropped 10.2 per cent in its stock market debut.
