European stocks fall at open after Nice attack

AFP, London

Europe’s main stock markets fell at the open on Friday, with sentiment hit by the fatal Nice truck attack according to traders, offsetting Wall Street records and positive Chinese data.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.2 percent to 6,641.75 points compared with the close on Thursday. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 slipped 0.4 percent to 10,031.18 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.4 percent to 4,367.43.

“In focus today will be last night’s tragic Bastille Day attack in Nice,” said Accendo Markets analyst Mike van Dulken in London.

A gunman smashed a truck into a crowd of revelers celebrating Bastille Day, killing at least 84 people in the French Riviera city of Nice late on Thursday.

Asian stock markets meanwhile climbed for a fifth-straight session Friday following yet another record close on Wall Street and after China released data showing the economy grew more than expected in the second quarter.