(RTTNews) - European stocks were little changed in cautious trade on Friday after a survey showed Germany's consumer confidence declined further to a new record low in September.
Market research group GfK's forward-looking consumer sentiment index fell to -36.5 in September from -30.9 in August as households started to build reserves to meet future energy bills, thus dampening the propensity to buy. The reading was forecast to fall moderately to -31.8.
The pan European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.1 percent to 432.84 after closing 0.3 percent higher on Thursday.
The German DAX was marginally higher, while France's CAC 40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were little changed with a positive bias.
Danish brewer Carlsberg dipped half a percent after saying it may need to "significantly reduce" or halt beer production in Poland.
Energy and services firm Centrica climbed 1.2 percent after Britain's energy regulator Ofgem raised its cap on domestic energy bills to a record 3,549 pounds ($4,189) from Oct. 1.
Anglo American added 1.3 percent after major copper producing country Peru abandoned a plan to hike taxes on the mining industry amid falling metal prices, high inflation and slowing growth.
Micro Focus International shares jumped 92 percent to hit more than one-year highs after Canada's OpenText struck a deal to buy the U.K. software firm in an all-cash deal of $6 billion including debt.
