Investing.com - European stocks opened lower on Friday, as optimism following the recent oil production cut deal began to fade and as investors grew cautious ahead of this weekend’s Italian referendum.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 lost 1.00%, France’s CAC 40 declined 1.15%, while Germany’s DAX 30 tumbled 1.05%.
Energy stocks turned lower, amid doubts over whether major producers will implement the recent OPEC-Russia deal to cut oil production.
French oil and gas major Total SA (PA:TOTF) tumbled 1.08% and Italy’s ENI (MI:ENI) lost 1.25%, while Norwegian rival Statoil (OL:STL) dropped 0.99%.
Meanwhile, markets were jittery as Italian citizens are set to vote on December 4 in a referendum on whether to overhaul their national constitution, which should help Prime Minister Matteo Renzi implement badly needed economic reforms.
Adding to political uncertainty in Europe, French President Francois Hollande announced on Thrusday that he will not be seeking a second term in the country's upcoming presidential election.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) plummeted 1.48% and 1.09%, while Germany’s Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) declined 0.13% and 1.32%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) retreated 0.65% and 0.96% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) dropped 0.74% and 0.82%.
Lufthansa AG (DE:LHAG) added to losses, with shares down 1.75% after pilots said on Thursday that they wanted more information from the company before deciding whether to revive failed pay talks, meaning more strikes could be underway.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 retreated 0.91%, weighed by losses in the mining sector.
Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) lost 1.76% and Anglo American (LON:AAL) tumbled 2.24%, while rivals Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) plunged 2.72% and 3.25% respectively.
Financial stocks were also on the downside, as Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) fell 0.24% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) slid 0.35%, while HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) dropped 0.60% and Barclays (LON:BARC) plummeted 1.34%.
Berkeley Group Hldgs (LON:BKGH) was one of the top performers on the index, with shares up 4.40% even after the U.K. housebuilder said reservations dropped 20% in the six months to the end of October - excluding a "hiatus" around the Brexit vote in June.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.16% fall, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.23% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.39% slide.