European stocks slide after weak German production data - by Sara Sjolin

European stocks retreated on Monday after a surprisingly steep drop in German industrial production data sparked worries that Europe’s economic engine is losing steam. 

Read more: European stocks slide after weak German production data - Europe Markets - MarketWatch

Barron's Recap: Betting on Europe in 2013

Europe's sovereign-debt crisis is far from over, and protesters continue to rail against government-imposed austerity in Greece and Spain. However, doubts about the eurozone's sustainability have been all but put to rest.

Some investors think that European stocks could rally up to 20% in 2013, due to global growth and their cheap valuations. Barron's offers suggestions for where to shop and what to buy. Many European companies took advantage of the recession to clean up their balance sheets, cut costs, trim capital expenditures and amass cash.

The weaker euro is expected to help boost corporate earnings between five percent and 10 percent in 2013. Undervalued companies with minimal downside risk include Volkswagen; European Aeronautic Defence & Space (EADS), parent of Airbus; miner Rio Tinto.
Read more: Barron's Recap (12/22/12): Betting on Europe in 2013 | Benzinga

European Stocks Drop as China Trade Miss Estimates - Bloomberg

European stocks dropped, snapping a five-day rally, as worse-than-expected Chinese trade data added to evidence the global economy is slowing. U.S. index futures and Asian shares also declined. 

European Stocks Drop as China Trade Miss Estimates - Bloomberg

Europe shares up for 5th week on economic optimism

European shares notched up a fifth straight week of gains, as the outlook for the global economy improved and on optimism Greece would avoid a messy default, though Novartis led a slight reversal on Friday amid doubts about a key drug.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares fell 0.3 percent to a provisional close of 1,043.41 points. Over the week, the index rose 2.5 percent, its fifth straight week of gains.

Economic data has boosted investor confidence in the early part of 2012.

For more: -Europe shares up for 5th week on economic optimism | Reuters