PARIS (Reuters) – The main European stock markets are reluctant to open on Monday, as the slowdown in the Chinese economy weighed on sentiment and as investors worry about an escalation in the Black Sea of ​​the Ukrainian conflict. In Paris, the CAC 40 is treading water at 7,346.04 points around 07:35 GMT. In Frankfurt, the Dax rose 0.22%, against a decline of 0.11% for the FTSE in London.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 0.11%, the EuroStoxx 50 advanced 0.16% and the Stoxx 600 was stable. New York index futures suggest a stable Wall Street opening, with the Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq not showing any clear direction.

Indicators released by the Chinese central bank on Friday showed a collapse in new loans, the volume of which fell to the lowest since 2009.

On Sunday, a Russian ship also fired a warning shot at a freighter bound for Ukraine in the Black Sea, which reignited fears related to geopolitics in the markets.

At stocks, the basic resources sector posted one of the worst performances of the Stoxx 600, down 0.81%, as investors worried about Chinese demand for commodities.

Philips is up 4.87% after announcing that the investment fund Exor would take a 15% stake in its capital.

(Writing by Corentin Chapron, editing by Kate Entringer)

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