European stocks slide at open, before ECB

LONDON: European stock markets slid further at the open Thursday following losses overnight in Asia and on Wall Street, as traders awaited the outcome of the ECB's latest policy meeting.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index shed 1.0 percent to 7,023.34 points.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.8 percent to 15,486.22 points and the Paris CAC 40 gave up 0.8 percent to 6,614.88.

European Central Bank governors meet Thursday under pressure to clarify their stimulus exit plans, as the eurozone economy rebounds from the pandemic and inflation surges.