Nikkei 225  14,534.74  -265.32 -1.79%

Hang Seng 22,165.53  -120.26 -0.54%        

S&P/ASX        5,308.1  -1.95 -0.04%

Shanghai Composite  2,098.4  -11.55 -0.55%

S&P 1,829.83 +10.57 +0.58%

NASDAQ 4,240.67 +39.38 +0.94%

Dow 16,027.59 +63.65 +0.40%

FTSE 6,659.42 -15.61 -0.23%

CAC 4,312.8 +7.30 +0.17%

European stocks retreated, halting their longest winning streak of the year, as companies from Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc to BNP Paribas (BNP) SA reported results.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index dropped 0.2 percent to 331.48 at 4:30 p.m. in London after earlier losing as much as 1 percent. The gauge jumped 4.5 percent in the six days through yesterday, with comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen fueling optimism the economy can weather further stimulus cuts.

A U.S. Commerce Department report in Washington showed that retail sales unexpectedly declined 0.4 percent in January after falling a revised 0.1 percent the previous month. Separate data showed that initial unemployment claims rose to 339,000 in the week ended Feb. 8 from 331,000 in the prior period. Economists had expected a drop to 330,000.

European shares pared earlier losses after a report showed U.S. consumer confidence improved for the first time in five weeks. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index rose to minus 30.7 in the week ended Feb. 9 from minus 33.1 the prior period. A measure of the state of the economy jumped to the highest level since September.

National benchmark indexes dropped in 13 of the 18 western-European markets.

FTSE 100 6,660.66 -14.37 -0.22% CAC 40 4,314.03 +8.53 +0.20% DAX 9,590.94 +50.94 +0.53%

Rolls-Royce (RR/) tumbled 14 percent to 1,044 pence. The maker of commercial-jet engines said 2014 revenue won’t increase because of lower demand for defense equipment. The company reported that pretax profit excluding hedging and some one-time items rose to 1.76 billion pounds ($2.9 billion) in 2013, while sales advanced 27 percent to 15.5 billion pounds.

BNP Paribas retreated 2.7 percent to 59.24 euros. Net income fell to 127 million euros ($173 million) from 519 million euros a year earlier after the lender set aside $1.1 billion. The Paris-based bank said in October that it was reviewing payments that might be subject to U.S. sanctions. Today’s result was the lowest quarterly profit since the fourth quarter of 2008, when it posted a loss, and it missed the 1.02 billion-euro average analyst estimate.

Nestle slipped 1.6 percent to 66.05 Swiss francs. The world’s largest food company projected that revenue will rise about 5 percent this year excluding acquisitions, disposals and currency shifts. The Kit Kat maker also reported the smallest annual sales advance in four years amid sluggish spending in developed markets.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY) declined 2.4 percent to 81.5 pence. Britain’s biggest mortgage lender reported its net loss narrowed to 838 million pounds for 2013, more than the 519 million-pound loss that analysts had estimated.

ABB Ltd. (ABBN) decreased 2.5 percent to 22.42 francs. The maker of power transformers lowered its medium-term sales target, citing weak global economic growth. The company predicted that sales excluding acquisitions will grow at an annual rate of 4 percent to 5 percent in the four years to 2015. That compared with a previous target of 5.5 percent to 8.5 percent. Net income declined 13 percent to $525 million in the fourth quarter, the company said.

Commerzbank AG rose 1.6 percent to 13.61 euros. Germany’s second-largest bank said net income amounted to 64 million euros in the fourth quarter, beating the average analyst projection that called for a 23.3 million-euro profit. Today’s profit compared with a loss of 726 million in the year earlier.

European stocks snapped a six-day rally as reported results disappointed investors and U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell.

Global markets:

Nikkei 14,534.74 -265.32 -1.79%

Hang Seng 22,165.53 -120.26 -0.54%

Shanghai Composite 2,098.4 -11.55 -0.55%

FTSE 6,621.94 -53.09 -0.80%

CAC 4,287.35 -18.15 -0.42%

DAX 9,514.31 -25.69 -0.27%

Crude oil $100.07 (-0.30%)

Gold $1294.50 (-0.04%).

European stocks retreated, with the Stoxx Europe 600 Index halting its longest winning streak of the year, as companies from Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc to BNP Paribas (BNP) SA reported results. Asian shares and U.S. index futures fell.

The Stoxx 600 dropped 0.6 percent to 330.11 at 10:09 a.m. in London. The gauge jumped 4.5 percent in the six days through yesterday, with comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen fueling optimism the economy can weather further stimulus cuts. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures fell 0.4 percent, and the MSCI Asia Pacific Index declined 0.9 percent.

A U.S. Commerce Department report at 8:30 a.m. New York time may show that retail sales were unchanged in January, after rising 0.2 percent the previous month, according to the median economist forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Separate data will probably show that initial-unemployment claims dropped to 330,000 in the week ended Feb. 8 from 331,000 the prior period.

Rolls-Royce tumbled 13 percent to 1,051 pence. The maker of commercial-jet engines said 2014 revenue won’t increase because lower demand for defense equipment cuts into civil-aviation sales. The company reported that pretax profit excluding hedging and some one-time items rose to 1.76 billion pounds ($2.9 billion) in 2013, while sales advanced 27 percent to 15.5 billion pounds.

BNP Paribas retreated 4 percent to 58.39 euros. Net income fell to 127 million euros ($173 million) from 519 million euros a year earlier after the lender set aside $1.1 billion tied to a review of payments to parties subject to U.S. economic sanctions. That was the lowest quarterly result since 2008, and it missed the 1.02 billion-euro average analyst estimate.

Nestle, the world’s largest food company, slipped 1.6 percent to 66 Swiss francs. The company projected that revenue will rise about 5 percent this year excluding acquisitions, disposals and currency shifts. Nestle also reported the smallest annual sales advance in four years amid sluggish spending in developed markets.

FTSE 100 6,630.18 -44.85 -0.67%

CAC 40 4,291.45 -14.05 -0.33%

DAX 9,520.66 -19.34 -0.20%

Asian stocks dropped after the regional benchmark index climbed for a sixth day yesterday to cap its longest run of advances this year.

Nikkei 225 14,534.74 -265.32 -1.79%

S&P/ASX 200 5,308.1 -1.95 -0.04%

Shanghai Composite 2,098.4 -11.55 -0.55%

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. slid 4.5 percent in Tokyo after Japan’s second-largest beermaker’s net-income forecast missed estimates.

Tokyo Tatemono Co. plunged 8.3 percent after the developer predicted full-year operating profit below analyst expectations.

Qantas Airways Ltd. jumped 6.3 percent after the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey said the nation’s biggest carrier met pre-conditions for government support.