LIVE MARKETS-Europe before the bell: Lower again

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EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: LOWER AGAIN

Another lower open is in prospect for Europe on Friday as the sell-off driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on auto stocks rumbles on

Euro STOXX 50 futures are down around 0.5% STXEc1 and FTSE futures 0.3% lower. FFIc1

There's been no particularly new tariff news since Trump's announcement late Wednesday, but the more investors digest it, the worse it seems for the global economy.

In a sign of the risk-off tone, safe-haven government bonds are rallying and Germany's 10-year Bund yield dropped to its lowest since 5 March on Friday. GVD/EUR

Some optimism was seen in Britain, where retail sales unexpectedly rose in February, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday, defying most forecasts from analysts who had predicted a fall against a backdrop of weak overall growth in the economy.

In terms of company news, we're a little thin.

Deutsche Bank DBKGn.DE has extended CEO Christian Sewing's contract, while its deputy and another top executive will depart as part of a management revamp, and French videogame maker Ubisoft UBIP.PA said on Thursday it has set up a subsidiary in which China's Tencent 0700.HK will invest 1.16 billion euros ($1.25 billion).

(Alun John)

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