European shares little changed ahead of Fed rate decision

European shares were little changed on Monday, with investors cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, which could mark the start of a monetary easing cycle in the world’s largest economy.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1% at 516.84 points, (by 0710 GMT) as healthcare stocks fell.

The Danish drugmaker’s shares fell about 2% in early trade, while technology stocks pulled markets down 0.5%.

The FTSE 100 index fell 0.5% after Britain’s inflation rate held steady at an annual rate of 2.2% in August, unchanged from July, while price growth in the services sector, which the Bank of England is closely watching, picked up.