European Stocks Lower Before Fed Minutes; Air France-KLM Shares Hit Turbulence on Strike Impact

European stocks continued their downward spiral on Wednesday as investors awaited the release of minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting for fresh clues on the world’s largest economy. In Paris, Air France-KLM Group shares ran into turbulence after the carrier said that the two-week pilot strike in September could shave up to €500 million off of its full-year Ebitda. In London, rail operator FirstGroup plc fell after losing the ScotRail franchise it’s held since 2014. Bucking the negative trend, Golden Ocean Group Ltd. was up in Oslo, as investors welcomed a planned all-share merger between the dry-bulk shipper and Nasdaq-listed Knightsbridge Shipping Ltd.