European stock futures down ahead of ECB meeting

European stock futures lowered on the week’s trade opening ahead of the European central bank meeting.

Germany’s DAX futures dipped 0.3%, CAC 40 futures in France fell 0.8%. The FTSE 100 futures in the U.K. were down 0.3%.

In corporate news, CNH Industrial ended negotiations with Chinese company FAW Jiefang over the potential sale of its Iveco truck and bus business, and ABN Amro agreed to pay a fine of 480 million euros ($574 million) to settle a criminal investigation into money laundering by prosecutors in the Netherlands.

ECB is set to announce its policy decision later this week. The central bank is expected to keep the rate steady and to strike a cautiously optimistic tone on the economy.

Oil prices retreated on Monday as rising COVID-19 infections continue to be a pressing concern among investors. U.S. crude futures lowered 0.3% at $63.01 a barrel, while the Brent contract dropped 0.4% to $66.53.