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Feb 20 (Reuters) - European shares retreated from record
highs on Thursday, as a rise in the number of new coronavirus
cases in South Korea added to fears after research suggested the
virus was more contagious than previously thought.
Residents of a South Korean city, Daegu, were asked to stay
indoors after 23 new virus infections were traced to church
services in the city. The news sparked fears of the epidemic's
global impact, even as China reported a sharp fall in the number
of new cases. The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX was down 0.2% at
0802 GMT, after hitting an all-time high in the previous session
on expectations of another intervention by the Chinese central
bank.
The bank cut its benchmark lending rate on Thursday, but
broader concerns about the business impact of the fast-spreading
virus led global equity markets lower. MKTS/GLOB
Air France-KLM AIR.PA fell 3.2% after joining a growing
list of companies to warn about disruptions from the virus
outbreak. Swedish radiation therapy equipment maker Elekta AB
EKTAb.ST slid to the bottom of the STOXX 600 index after
reporting quarterly operating profit growth below estimates and
a fall in new orders in the United States.