Major stock equities in Europe extended losses on Thursday as economic uncertainty dampened investors' confidence following this week's data releases which showed that the activity in the services sector slowed across the euro area, Germany, and Britain.
The negative sentiment was likely exacerbated by the release of jobs data in the United States, with hotter-than-expected reading indicating that the labor market is still able to withstand tight monetary conditions, possibly leaving room for more interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve.
Frankfurt's DAX plunged 1.52% or 242 points at 2:33 pm CET. The CAC 40 sank 2.18%, the FTSE 100 plummeted 1.57%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 tumbled 1.85%.
The euro was up 0.13% against the dolalr to sell at $1.08671 at 2:35 pm CET. The British pound added 0.30% compared to the greenback, to trade at $1.27418.
