European stock markets fall at open

Sep 16, 2019: European stock markets fell at the start of trading on Monday, but London's losses were capped by strong gains for energy giants on the back of soaring oil prices.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index lost 0.1 percent to 7,358.96 points, as BP shares rallied 3.8 percent to £5.23 and Royal Dutch Shell jumped 3.3 percent to £23.56.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 shares index lost 0.6 percent to 12,392.73 points at the open and the Paris CAC 40 retreated 0.5 percent to 5,626.92.

Around 0700 GMT, Brent crude oil was up 8.8 percent to $65.50 per barrel and WTI soaring 8.0 percent to $59.28 per barrel.

Attacks on two Saudi facilities has slashed output in the world's top producer by half, fuelling fresh geopolitical fears as US President Donald Trump blamed Iran and raised the possibility of a military strike on the country.

AFP/APP