European shares slip as healthcare stocks weigh, France in focus

By Johann M Cherian and Tristan Veyet

Sept 12 (Reuters) - European shares slipped in choppy trading on Friday, weighed by a drop in healthcare stocks, while investors also braced for Fitch's credit rating verdict on France later in the day.

After rising nearly 0.2% earlier in the day, the pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX reversed course and was last down 0.2% to 554.8 points, as of 0845 GMT. Healthcare stocks .SXDP weighed the most, slipping 0.6%.

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis NOVN.S lost 2.6% after Goldman Sachs' downgrade, citing rising competition from generics.

Luxury stocks .STXLUXP also declined 1% with L.V.M.H LVMH.PA and Richemont CFR.S down 0.5% and 1.6%, respectively after brokerage UBS said it was "a least preferred sector".

However, on a weekly basis, the benchmark index was on track for its first rise in three weeks after U.S. labour data on Thursday cemented market expectations of a Fed rate cut next week.

"The U.S. is facing a weaker labour market that is now overpowering the inflationary impact of the tariffs," said Craig Cameron, portfolio manager at Templeton Global Equity Group.

"So there's obviously various different factors pushing and pulling on that, but our expectation is at least one rate cut in September."

Focus has been greater on U.S. monetary policy as eurozone inflation hovers close to the European Central Bank's 2% target and investors see a potential policy easing only sometime next year. The ECB left interest rates unchanged on Thursday and offered no clues about its next move.

Among sectors, aerospace and defence .SXPARO was marginally higher. It is on track for its largest weekly rise in over four months, up 5.4% so far, as simmering geopolitical tensions after Poland shot down a possible Russian drone, sparked a rally.

Fitch's rating review of French credit is due later in the day, with market participants bracing for a potential downgrade. The country appointed its fifth prime minister in under two years as governments struggled to unite over plans for debt-fuelled fiscal spending.

However, French stocks .FCHI are set for a weekly gain of about 1.3%, outperforming the STOXX index.

"The French market remains at a meaningful discount to the global market. There is certainly some discount priced in for political challenges and budget problems. The other point is that (French companies) have a very international market and so their direct France exposure is quite small," Cameron said.

Among others, UK's Ocado OCDO.L slid 10% after U.S. partner Kroger KR.N flagged it will review its warehouse investments.