European stock markets drop at open

LONDON: Europe's main stock markets slid at the open Friday following losses in Asia and on Wall Street as the US economy grew much slower than expected in the first quarter.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.8 percent to 6,269.31 points compared with Thursday's closing level.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.8 percent to 10,235.47 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 1.25 percent to 4,500.43.

The US Commerce Department on Thursday said that the world's number one economy grew 0.5 percent in January-March, almost half the pace expected, and the worst reading since 2014 as consumer spending sputtered.