Remy, Pernod shares fall on China EU brandy probe
UK39;s Endeavour Mining at near 3month low after CEO ouster
German retail sales fall more than expected in Nov

Jan 5 Reuters European shares dropped on Friday in a broader market decline, poised for their first weekly loss in eight, with investors awaiting eurozone inflation prints and U.S. payrolls data that could further shape monetary policy expectations.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 lost 0.8 by 0935 GMT, eyeing a 1 weekly decline, in a somewhat rocky start to 2024, after eight consecutive weekly gains on rampedup bets of easing monetary policy.

Technology and retail were the top sectoral losers for the week, with the latter also leading declines for the day.

Headlining stocks for the day included French spirits companies Remy Cointreau and Pernod Ricard, down 10.1 and 5.5 respectively, after China announced the launch of an antidumping investigation on brandy imported from the European Union.

This steered a 1 drop in France39;s benchmark CAC40 index.

The food and beverages index shed 1.1, with Italy39;s Campari and UK39;s Diageo losing more than 2 each.

On the data front, Eurozone consumer and producer inflation reports and U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, due later in the day, will be key for investors in assessing when the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve can start cutting rates this year.

Bets of a pause and a cut in ECB rates in March were almost evenly split fresh evidence of investors scaling back…