European stocks drop at open

LONDON: European stock markets fell at the start of trading on Thursday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index down 0.41 percent at 6,921.22 points.

Elsewhere, the CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.39 percent to 4,942.49 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 reversed 0.42 percent to 11,304 compared with Wednesday's close.

Asian equities mostly retreated Thursday following another set of below-forecast US data, with Tokyo taking the biggest hit as the yen advanced against the dollar.

Wall Street had finished little changed in choppy trade overnight after a lacklustre US retail sales report and disappointing earnings from Macy's.