European Stock Markets Ease at Open; Cars in Focus
Europe's main stock markets dipped at the start of trading on Friday, with sharp focus on the embattled auto sector as German car giant Daimler launched a probe on emissions.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index fell 0.4 percent to 6,356.91 points at the open compared with Thursday's closing level.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.6 percent to 10,377.22 points, while the Paris CAC 40 gave up 0.1 percent in value to 4,578.82.
Daimler shares were down 5.5 percent at 52.98 euros after the owner of Mercedes-Benz announced late Thursday that it was launching an internal investigation "into its certification process related to exhaust emissions in the United States upon the request of the U.S. Department of Justice".
The announcement came as Volkswagen said it had reached an agreement with regulators to offer "substantial compensation" to U.S. owners of some 480,000 illegally polluting diesel cars.
Shares in Mitsubishi Motors meanwhile nosedived for a third session running on Friday after the Japanese automaker's shock admission that it cheated on fuel-efficiency tests.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/207629 |