Summary In foreign exchange deals the euro rose to $1.3840 from $1.3815 late in New York on Wednesday.
LONDON (AFP) - Europe s main stock markets fell slightly on Thursday following the previous day s strong gains, with investors taking profits before earnings updates from US heavyweights.
London s FTSE 100 dipped 0.12 percent to stand at 6,576.42 points in late morning deals.
Frankfurt s DAX 30 fell 0.26 percent to 9,293.69 points and the CAC 40 in Paris retreated also by 0.26 percent to 4,394.14 compared with Wednesday s closing values.
"Equity markets are trading on the soft side Thursday, pausing for breath following the previous session s sharp gains with investors gearing up for another raft of high profile US earnings from the likes of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo and GE," said Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital traders.
"Moving away from US earnings, the immediate focus for financial markets is of course the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine."
European stock markets had rallied on Wednesday as strong company earnings, well-received Chinese growth data and a positive start on Wall Street offset jitters over the Ukraine crisis, traders said.
In a volatile week s trading, shares had ended sharply lower on Tuesday as the escalating military crisis in Ukraine spooked investors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine s new authorities of driving the country towards the abyss, saying he hoped he would not have to use his "right" to send Russian troops into the country.
Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine s eastern border as separatist pro-Russian activists seized buildings across east Ukraine, raising fears of a major conflict.
In foreign exchange deals on Thursday, the euro rose to $1.3840 from $1.3815 late in New York on Wednesday.
The European single currency fell to 82.23 British pence from 82.25 pence, while the pound advanced to $1.6831 from $1.6795 on Wednesday.
On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold decreased to $1,298.90 an ounce from $1,301.50 on Wednesday.
In Paris, shares in advertising giant Publicis rose by 2.74 percent to 64.78 euros to lead the CAC 40 index after the firm reported a 2.2-percent rise in first-quarter sales figures pointing to a return to growth after a difficult period in 2013.
Asian stocks markets closed mixed on Thursday as a positive report on the US economy and the Federal Reserve chief s pledge to keep interest rates at record lows were offset by profit-taking after the previous day s gains.
Wall Street provided another positive lead, with the technology-weighted Nasdaq leading a third-straight rally on Wednesday after last week s heavy sell-off.
In the United States the Fed said in its closely watched Beige Book report that the US economy was showing clear signs of picking up again after being caught by a severe winter freeze that jolted spending and jobs growth.
