European stocks fell for a fourth day, the longest stretch in seven weeks, as violence in the Middle East escalated. U.S. index futures were little changed, while Asian shares declined. GDF Suez SA dropped 2.8 percent after France sold a 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) stake in the nation’s largest natural-gas distributor. Aker Solutions ASA slumped 5.7 percent after saying Total SA canceled a contract for its Skandi Aker vessel. Banco Comercial Portugues SA added 6.6 percent after saying it plans a 2.25-billion euro capital increase. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index dropped 0.6 percent to 343.55 at 9:56 a.m. in London. The benchmark equity index has lost 1.3 percent in the past four days as investors weighed developments in Iraq, and economic data showed euro-area manufacturing weakened, while German business confidence dropped to the lowest level this year. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures advanced less than 0.1 percent today, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.4 percent. “The momentum has faded a little bit,� Gunther Westen, who helps oversee about $35 billion as head of asset allocation and fund management at Meriten Investment Management GmbH in Dusseldorf, Germany, said by telephone. “We are probably in for more range trading given the Ukraine crisis, the Iraq crisis. There’s also some profit taking. We probably need more upbeat economic data in the euro zone, which has been mixed recently.� The number of shares changing hands in Stoxx 600-listed companies was 53 percent higher than the 30-day average for this time of the day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Iraq, Ukraine Insurgents are firming their hold on parts of Iraq, according to U.S. officials. The Wall Street Journal reported that Syrian air raids inside the nation’s borders killed at least 50 people. The U.S. is preparing sanctions aimed at specific areas of the Russian economy as the Obama administration readies the next steps to pressure Russia over the Ukraine crisis, according to three people briefed on the plans. The sanctions would apply to technology used to explore, produce, transport or deliver natural gas, crude and or their refined products, two of the people said. In Germany, market-research company GfK AG forecast that its consumer-confidence index will rise to 8.9 in July. That would be the highest reading since December 2006. The measure has not dropped since January 2013 and climbed to 8.6 in June. U.S. Economy A report at 8:30 a.m. in Washington may show U.S. gross domestic product shrank 1.8 percent in the first quarter, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists. That would be a deeper slowdown than the 1 percent contraction from a reading last month. Separate data may show durable-goods orders stalled in May. GDF Suez retreated 2.8 percent to 20.24 euros. The French government sold 3.1 percent of the company, trimming its holding to 33.6 percent, as it seeks to raise funds to purchase a stake in Alstom (ALO) SA. The shares were priced at 20.18 euros each, the bottom of a proposed range, according to two people familiar with the sale. Alstom climbed 2.7 percent to 27.49 euros. Under an agreement announced June 22, the French government will buy as much as 20 percent of Alstom from Bouygues SA, allowing General Electric Co. to overcome a last hurdle for its $17 billion purchase of Alstom’s energy assets. Aker Solutions Aker Solutions slumped 5.7 percent to 106.20 kroner. Total ended the two-year, $250 million contract, according to a statement. The value of the remaining contract period was $150 million, it said. Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA lost 2.1 percent to 33.45 euros. Corporacion Financiera Alba is selling a 3.7 percent stake, or 11.6 million shares, in Spain’s biggest builder for 34.17 euros each. Bunzl Plc fell 3.5 percent to 1,573 pence. The distributor of disposable tableware and food packaging said it bought Allshoes Benelux BV in the Netherlands and JPLUS Comercio e Distribuicao Ltda in Brazil. Bunzl also reported that first-half revenue climbed 6 percent at a constant foreign-exchange rate. Banco Comercial Portugues rallied 6.6 percent to 16.9 euro cents. The country’s second-biggest publicly traded lender said it will issue 34.5 million new shares. Metro AG climbed 1.7 percent to 31.73 euros, the highest price in four months. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted Germany’s largest retailer to neutral from underweight, meaning that it no longer recommends selling the stock. Metro may be able to start a planned Russian initial public offering in the fall amid increased investor demand for Russian equities and a rebound in the ruble, according to JPMorgan. The firm also boosted its stock-price estimate to 32 euros from 24 euros. To contact the reporter on this story: Inyoung Hwang in London at ihwang7@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecile Vannucci at cvannucci1@bloomberg.net

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