European shares fall, affected by weak commodity prices

European shares fell on Friday, dragged down by weak commodity prices and mixed corporate earnings, as investors weighed the path to tighten monetary policy amid a slowdown in economic growth. The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.9 percent by 0719 GMT, and miners led losses as commodity prices fell amid concerns about the expansion of Covid-19 restrictions in China. The index closed little changed on Thursday after the European Central Bank raised interest rates as expected, but said it had already made “substantial” progress in trying to stem the historic rise in inflation.