European Markets Fall as Swiss-led Sell-off Overshadows BP Court Victory, Carrefour Quarterly Sales

European markets fell again on Friday, as a Swiss-led sell-off overshadowed a string of strong corporate news from energy giant BP to French retailer Carrefour. BP rose in London after a U.S. court ruling put the maximum fine for the 2010 Gulf oil spill at $13.7 billion, well below the government’s $17.6 billion estimate. Carrefour rose up in Paris after posting a 4.1% gain in fourth-quarter organic sales as a boom in Brazil and Argentina offset a slump in China. Investors also cheered new ‘buy’ recommendations on Dutch brewer Heineken and French liquor maker Remy Cointreau from analysts at UBS.