European stock markets fall at open

LONDON: Europe's main stock markets fell further at the start of trading on Friday after heavy slides the previous day caused by lingering concerns over China and following poor company earnings.

Equities are being weighed down by a slump in commodity prices caused largely by weaker Chinese demand and by increased expectations of a long-awaited US rate hike in December.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.32 percent to open at 6,158.93 points compared with Thursday's close.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index slipped 0.17 percent to 10,764.57 points and the Paris CAC 40 lost 0.43 percent to 4,835.69.

The FTSE and CAC both ended Thursday's sessions with losses of almost 2.0 percent.