BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks fell in cautious trade on Monday after China and South Korea reported new spikes in coronavirus cases, raising fears that too hasty a return to normal could spark a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Germany has also seen regional spikes in cases linked to slaughterhouses and nursing homes, official data showed Sunday, just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country could gradually return to normal.
The pan European Stoxx 600 was down 0.55 percent at 339.19 after rising 0.9 percent on Friday.
The German DAX dropped half a percent, France's CAC 40 index fell 1.2 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 0.4 percent.
Wirecard shares soared 8 percent after the payments system provider announced a reshuffle of its management board amid multiple regulatory probes into financial disclosure.
Wind turbine manufacturer Nordex lost 2 percent. With supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic affecting its business, the company said it was unclear when it could issue a new outlook for the current year.
Consumer goods maker Henkel AG & Co. KGaA fell over 2 after its sales declined nominally by 0.8 percent to 4.9 billion euros during the first quarter.
Volkswagen edged up slightly. The automaker said that sales in the month of April continued to fall sharply due to Coronavirus crisis.
AstraZeneca was little changed after announcing a trio of developments regarding treatments for gastric and ovarian cancer as well as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Specialty chemicals maker Victrex fell over 1 percent after posting a fall in first-half profit and warning that the Covid-19 pandemic is beginning to hit its forward order book.
Danone shares rose half a percent. Media reports suggest that the U.K.'s antitrust authority is considering whether the French food giant's proposed acquisition of Harrogate Water Brands Ltd., could result in reduced competition in any markets in the U.K.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set a deadline of July 6 for reaching its phase 1 decision.
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