Europe stocks wobble ahead of U.S. jobs data
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets struggled for direction in early action on Friday, as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of a closely watched jobs report from the U.S. The Stoxx Europe 600 index (STX:XX:SXXP) was marginally lower at 273.61. Shares of French telecom-equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent (EPA:FR:ALU) slid 8.1% after the firm swung to a loss in the third quarter. Beiersdorf AG shares (FRAE:BEI) rallied 5.3% as the personal-care-products firm raised its full-year sales-growth forecast. The DAX 30 index (ITFXAX) rose 0.1% to 7,339.77, while France's CAC 40 index (ENX:FRX1) slipped 0.1% to 3,471.33. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index (FTI:UK:UKX) dropped 0.3% to 5,844.90