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UK Market Slides, Oil Firms Drop

The UK market erased some of its early losses on Friday afternoon, after flash estimates from Eurostat showed the Eurozone economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the third quarter.

Gross domestic product gained seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent from the second quarter, when it was up 0.1 percent. Economists had forecast the rate to remain at 0.1 percent. On a yearly basis, GDP growth remained unchanged at 0.8 percent, while it was forecast to slow marginally to 0.7 percent.

Further, the German economy recovered at a moderate pace avoiding a recession in the third quarter, while France rebounded at the fastest rate in a year, preliminary results showed.

Germany's gross domestic product rose 0.1 percent sequentially offsetting a revised 0.1 percent drop in the previous quarter, while the French GDP expanded at a faster-than-expected pace of 0.3 percent.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is adding 0.14 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is falling 0.22 percent.

The FTSE 100 index is down 0.06 percent.

Miners and oil firms are feeling the heat. Fresnillo, Randgold Resources, Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are losing between 2.5 percent and 1.5 percent.

Tullow Oil is losing 2.5 percent, BP is declining 1.1 percent and Royal Dutch Shell is dropping moderately.

Aggreko is gaining 3.2 percent. The temporary power services provider said its underlying group revenue for the third quarter was up 6 percent from last year.

Aberdeen Asset Management is adding 1.8 percent and Standard Life is gaining 1.6 percent.

Markets elsewhere in the region are trading mixed.

The Asian stocks closed mixed yet again following another flat lead from Wall Street last night. Geopolitical worries and tumbling crude oil prices kept investors on tenterhooks even as Japanese shares reversed early losses to hit a fresh seven-year high.

In the U.S., futures point to a cautious open on Wall Street. In the previous session, stocks fluctuated before closing higher. While the Dow rose 0.2 percent to close at a fresh record high, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the S&P 500 inched up about 0.1 percent each.

Crude for December delivery is losing $0.21 to $74.00 per barrel, while December gold is falling $9.9 to $1151.6 a troy ounce.

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Market Analysis

First quarter growth data from China gained the maximum focus this week as trends in the massive emerging economy impact its trading partners. Elsewhere, the IMF released its latest global macroeconomic projections. Read our story to find out why comments from the Fed Chair Powell damped rate cut expectations. Meanwhile, there was some survey data that kindled hopes of a recovery in manufacturing. In the U.K., inflation data for March revealed some confusing trends.

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