European shares inch higher; AstraZeneca tumbles on halting vaccine trials

European shares steadied on Wednesday after hefty declines in the previous session, although sentiment was rattled by AstraZeneca suspending global trials for its COVID-19 vaccine.

AstraZeneca Plc shares slipped 1.3% as it also paused large late-stage trials of its experimental vaccine due to an unexplained illness in a study participant. The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged 0.1% higher at 0710 GMT, with travel and leisure stocks among the biggest decliners in early trading.