stock movements
By 07:11 GMT, the European “Stoxx 600” index fell 0.1 percent, yet it seemed headed for recording its first weekly gain in four weeks.
US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak at 14:05 GMT, while European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will speak at 19:00 GMT.
The speeches of the heads of central banks will play a major role in predicting the course of interest rates, amid hopes that central banks are close to ending the monetary tightening cycle.
Bond yields rose across Europe, with the continent’s benchmark German bond yield rising to 2.54 percent.
Interest-sensitive real estate stocks fell 0.1 percent.
On the other hand, growth-sensitive technology stocks fell 0.5 percent, and travel and leisure sector shares fell 0.4 percent.
Losses remained limited, with shares of the energy sector rising 0.6 percent, supported by the rise in crude oil prices. Shares of basic resources companies rose 0.2 percent, supported by the increase in metal prices.
The German DAX index fell 0.1 percent after official data showed that the German economy stagnated in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter, after suffering a contraction in the winter.
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