© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo
(Reuters) – European shares fell on Monday, as investors braced for interest rate decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank due this week, while rising COVID-19 infections in China after restrictions were eased also weighed on sentiment.
The continent-wide index was down 0.4% at 0805 GMT.
The index posted its first weekly drop after a seven-week rally on Friday, as fears of an impending global recession from aggressive rate hikes countered optimism around the easing of strict COVID-19 curbs in China.
Investor focus on Monday also turned to a surge in COVID-19 infections in China following loosening of the restrictions, with industrials and some China-exposed luxury firms such as LVMH and Hermes International (OTC:) among biggest drags on the STOXX 600.
On the other hand, London Stock Exchange rose 4.5% after Microsoft (NASDAQ:) agreed to buy about 4% equity stake in the UK bourse operator as part of a deal to migrate its data platform into cloud.
Shares of Sanofi (NASDAQ:) SA rose 1.9% after the French drugmaker on Sunday said it was no longer in discussions to buy Horizon Therapeutics (NASDAQ:).
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