European stocks decline on weight of NatWest’s fall

European stocks fell slightly on Friday, as the decline in British bank NatWest outweighed gains in energy company stocks.

According to Reuters, the STOXX 600 index fell by 0.1% by 0711 GMT, and is on track to end the week with a decline of about 0.2%.

NatWest shares witnessed the largest loss on the index, at 16.1%, after the bank lowered its profit expectations.

The shares of alcoholic beverage manufacturer Remy Cointreau also fell 10.4 percent after lowering its annual forecasts.

The decline in the index was limited by a 1.2% rise in energy stocks, with oil prices rising by more than 1% due to concerns related to the consequences of the expanding scope of the Middle East conflict.

Signify Lighting shares rose 10%, driven by strong quarterly profits.

Markets are awaiting the release of personal consumption spending data in the United States later on Friday, searching for more indications on interest rates after indications of a decline in inflation on Thursday pushed US Treasury bond yields to fall.