Rheinmetall up on joint ammo factory in Ukraine
Juventus slips as H1 financial loss widens
UK39;s Currys soars after China39;s JD.com joins takeover battle
Forvia up on plans to cut 13 of Europe staff by 2028
STOXX 600 off 0.1

Feb 19 Reuters European stocks slipped on Monday, with French stocks taking a hit after the government cut its annual economic growth forecast, while shares of car parts maker Forvia rose following an upbeat outlook and on plans to trim its workforce.

The continentwide STOXX 600 index was down 0.1, while the euro zone bluechip STOXX 50E index lost 0.3 by 0948 GMT.

France39;s benchmark index lost 0.4, easing from Friday39;s record high, after the government trimmed the economy39;s 2024 gross domestic product growth forecast to 1 from 1.4, hurt by the ongoing war in Ukraine and Gaza and a slowdown in top trading partners Germany and China.

The fact that two core economies France and Germany in the eurozone are under difficulty is not particularly good news, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at Swissquote Bank.

But, with growth outlooks softening, it means that the ECB European Central Bank will at some point have to soften its hand to support the economy.

The main STOXX index had notched weekly gains for the past four and closed at a fresh twoyear high on Friday, driven by optimism around a robust corporate earnings season and hopes of imminent rate cuts by the ECB.

As borrowing costs remain high, fears of a slowdown in the…