Virus Fears Keep European Shares Below Record Levels

European shares were stuck below all-time highs, as the global spread of the mutated Delta strain of the Corona virus raised fears of an economic stumble, but Morrisons shares jumped as the battle for the British company intensified.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.11 percent, and the shares of travel car companies were among the biggest losers.

Mining stocks were among the few gainers, as they jumped 1.4 percent, tracking the impact of metal prices.

The Stoxx 600 is struggling to regain its peak in mid-June, as the jump in virus cases raises fears of the specter of new travel restrictions and threatens to derail the eurozone’s economic recovery from the pandemic recession.

French stocks fell 0.2 percent after Health Minister Olivier Veran warned that France may be heading towards a fourth wave of the pandemic due to the highly contagious delta strain.

Shares of Morrisons jumped 11.6 percent after US private equity firm Apollo Global Management said it was studying a potential bid for the British supermarket group. On Saturday, Morrisons approved a 6.3 billion pound ($8.7 billion) takeover with another group.