European shares flat as healthcare gains counter broader market weakness
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European shares were flat on Wednesday, with gains in heavyweight healthcare stocks offsetting the decline in the broader market, as investors fretted over a potential delay in the closely-watched U.S. jobs data. The pan-European STOXX 600 held steady at 557.9 points by 0711 GMT, after posting its third successive monthly gain in September. Local bourses were mixed. Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, while the UK's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2% to an all-time high. Healthcare stocks jumped 2.7% after Pfizer and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said they had cut a deal in which the drugmaker agreed to lower prescription drug prices. Separately, Novartis gained 2.8% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Swiss drugmaker's oral treatment for patients with a type of chronic inflammatory skin disease. Live Events On the data front, British house prices rose slightly faster than expected in September, while a key infla...