Global equity markets started the new month on the back foot on Wednesday, undermined by lackluster economic data and an oil price slide that took the edge off energy and mining shares. The pan-European 300 and the STOXX Europe 600 both fell more than 1 percent, led by the resources sector, while U.S. equity futures pointed to a weak opening for Wall Street. The catalyst for the moves lower was Chinese manufacturing data that showed the economy still struggling to regain traction, while euro zone factory growth languished at a three-month low.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets-idUSKCN0YN2XR
