European stocks fall 1% on growth worries

European stocks fell on Wednesday as worries about slowing global growth weighed on sentiment, while investors looked ahead to a European Central Bank meeting for hints on tapering plans. The Europe-focussed Stoxx 600 index fell 1 per cent early this morning - on course for its biggest daily decline in three weeks - after losses overnight on Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 and Asian stocks.

Swedish investment company EQT fell 5.9 per cent after a share placing deal, while Stellantis dropped 2.5 per cent after Dongfeng Motor Hong Kong said it had sold shares in the carmaker for about €600 million euros ($710 million). French drugmaker Sanofi slipped 1.4 per cen t after it agreed to buy U.S. biopharmaceutical company Kadmon Holdings in a $1.9 billion deal. British industrial technology company Smiths Group rose 3.8 per cent after it agreed to sell its medical unit to US-based ICU Medical for $2.4 billion. - Reuters