Europe: Stocks steady at open, before US jobs data

[LONDON] European stock markets steadied at the start of trading on Friday awaiting key jobs data in the United States, the country with the most coronavirus cases and deaths.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index opened flat at 6,027.27 points.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index gained 0.2 per cent to 12,616.04 points and the Paris CAC 40 dipped 0.1 per cent to 4,879.77.

"The US labour market report today is the first important indication of how the second wave of infections is affecting the economic recovery in the US," Commerzbank analyst Thu Lan Nguyen said.

"It is generally expected that the rise in employment has slowed considerably in July."

The United States has seen a major coronavirus resurgence since the end of June, adding 2,060 deaths in 24 hours alone Thursday, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed.

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AFP