Global stocks give up some gains after solid start to year

LONDON (AP) — Stock markets drifted lower Friday as investors booked some profits after an encouraging couple of weeks that have helped many of the world's leading indexes halve the losses notched up during a bleak end to 2018.

KEEPING SCORE: In Europe, Germany's DAX slipped 0.4 percent to 10,879 while the CAC 40 in France fell 0.5 percent lower to 4,781. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.2 percent lower at 6,930. U.S. stocks were poised to open moderately lower too with Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures down 0.1 percent.

2019 RELIEF: So far this year, investors have breathed a sigh of relief as hopes of a trade deal between the U.S. and China have risen and comments from officials at the U.S.