Beirut: European stocks closed lower Friday posting a slight weekly loss. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed down 0.5 percent, marking its fourth consecutive session of losses. The UK’s FTSE 100 index also fell by about 0.5 percent, closing at 9,717.25 points.

According to Qatar News Agency, Germany’s DAX index lost about 0.7 percent, closing at 23,954.45 points, while France’s CAC 40 index fell by about 0.5 percent, ending trading at 8,121.07 points.

The European Central Bank (ECB) kept interest rates unchanged at 2 percent for the third consecutive time on Thursday, reinforcing expectations that they will remain at that level for the remainder of the current cycle.