Stocks Down Before Earnings News

LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets struggled on Monday as expectations for a flurry of bumper corporate earnings and merger speculation fought with fears about the escalating trade conflict between Beijing and Washington. Data showing China’s economy and factory production growth had slowed sent Asian markets lower at the start of the week, as investors fret an escalating trade battle between China and the United States may soon start to damage the real economy . European shares, which have rallied off three-month lows in July, mostly opened higher although the gains were limited and temporary.