Overall Euro-Zone Growth Remains Weak; European Stocks Mixed

Investors take scant comfort from news that Europe’s two biggest economies have returned to growth in the third quarter as major stock indices stutter along to the Friday finish line. Overall euro-zone growth remains weak, with the economy expanding at an annual pace of 0.8%, and 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, according to European Commission figures, and Italy continuing to contract. Among corporate gainers French conglomerate Bouygues cheers investors by lifting its 2014 targets, and Airbus rises on profit figures but problems associated with its A400M military aircraft loom.