Healthcare, consumer stocks drag European shares lower; Bayer surges

However, Bayer jumping about 15% after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to take up the company's bid to block thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weed-killer caused cancer, limited losses in the sector. Consumer discretionary stocks such as luxury firms and automobile companies were also trading lower.

European shares inched lower on Tuesday, slightly extending losses in the previous session, while Bayer surged after the U.S. administration supported the German pharmaceutical firm's court appeal.

The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 0.1% to 574.48, as of 0809 GMT, set to extend Monday's industrials-led declines. However, major regional bourses such as Germany and France were up about 0.1% each.

Healthcare stocks led declines on the index, down 0.3%, weighed down by losses in heavyweights AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk. However, Bayer jumping about 15% after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to take up the company's bid to block thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weed-killer caused cancer, limited losses in the sector.

Consumer discretionary stocks such as luxury firms and automobile companies were also trading lower. Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on a possible Ukraine ceasefire.

Among individual stocks, FDJ United slipped 4.2% after J.P.Morgan downgraded the lottery and online game operator's stock to "underweight". Investors will now focus on the euro zone's flash inflation data for November due later in the day.

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