(Reuters) – Europe’s benchmark stock index fell on Friday, setting up to end its second straight week of gains on a glum note, as surging coronavirus cases compounded fears of the damage to the bloc’s economy in the coming winter months.
The pan-European STOXX 600 <.stoxx> was down 0.3% by 0805 GMT after jumping earlier this week on optimism around a working COVID-19 vaccine. The index has gained about 12% in the past two weeks, also buoyed by hopes of calmer global trade under U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.
France’s CAC 40 index <.fchi> lost 0.1% as Prime Minister Jean Castex said there would be no immediate easing of a second COVID-19 lockdown, with the number of hospitalisations now higher than at the peak of the first wave.
The energy index <.sxep> led declines, falling 1.4% with banking <.sx7p> and travel stocks <.sxtp> also dropping more than 0.8% in early trading.
In company news, French power group EDF
(Reporting by Shashank Nayar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
