FX168 Financial News (Hong Kong)-European stock markets fell on Thursday.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.16% in afternoon trading, with auto stocks down 1%, leading the decline, while retail stocks rose 0.56% against the trend.

Morgan StanleyThe MSCI Asia-Pacific stock index excluding Japan fell about 0.1 per cent.

Back in Europe, traders looked at UK poll data ahead of the crucial UK general election on December 12th. British Prime Minister Johnson is expected to win an absolute majority of 68 seats in parliament, according to a YouGov poll.

On the data side, the euro zone economic climate index rebounded more than expected in November as service sector sentiment data improved.

Data released by the European Commission on Thursday morning showed that the economic climate index of the 19 countries of the euro zone rose to 101.3 in November from 100.8 in October, exceeding analysts' expectations of 101.0.

U. S. stock markets were closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In terms of individual stocks, Virgin Money jumped an astonishing 18.7 per cent after offering reassuring prospects for 2020, suggesting that the worst of a lingering insurance scandal is over. Although the company failed to meet its full-year 2019 profit forecast and cancelled its dividend, its share price rose sharply.

As of this afternoonVodafoneShares fell 3.7 per cent and Sweden's Elekta fell 3.9 per cent to the bottom of the European blue chip index.