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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Europe midday: Shares extend losses as oil, China weigh

(Sharecast News) - European shares extended losses as weaker oil prices and poor China data depressed sentiment.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was down 0.27% at 443 with regional bourses mixed.

''There is still a certain amount of nervousness hanging around despite the increased confidence recently that rate cuts in the US could finally be in sight," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Derren Nathan.

"Energy stocks have seen substantial falls with oil prices slipping to the lowest levels since violence erupted in the middle east last month. Brent crude fell by 4.2% and is hovering at around $81.5 per barrel. Demand concerns were heightened by a 6% fall in Chinese exports, the sixth decline in as many months."

"But traders also factored in in potential oversupply. US crude inventories rose more than expected yesterday. This follows three months of output increase by OPEC producers. Shares in the financial sector also had a weak day. This came as US credit card debt reached new highs, up 4.6% quarter on quarter to $48 bn."

In equity news, shares in UK retailer M&S jumped as the company reinstated its dividend and posted better-than-expected first-half earnings.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharescast.com

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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