European stock markets drop at open, before US jobs

LONDON: Europe's main stock markets dropped at the start of trading on Friday awaiting the release of key US jobs data amid a renewed slide in oil prices.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index fell 0.3 percent to 7,224.38 points compared with the close on Thursday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 lost 0.4 percent to 12,601.46 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.5 percent to 5,344.92, also ahead of France's presidential election Sunday.