European shares fall amid global risk-off mood on US growth fears
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STOXX 600 drops 1.4%
Chip stocks fall on weak US earnings, wider sell-off
AXA up on deal talks with BNP Paribas
Engie gains after lifting profit guidance
IAG climbs after profit beat, dividend resumption
Updated at 0829 GMT
By Pranav Kashyap
Aug 2 (Reuters) -European shares fell more than 1% on Friday, tracking aglobal risk-off sentiment following disappointing U.S. growth data and overshadowing ahandful of positive corporateupdates.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX fell 1.4% after touching a three-month low earlier in the session. It is alsoset to log a 1.5% decline this week.
Most European sub-indexes were in the red, with the technology sector .SX8P falling 3.6% to a six-month low. The financial sector .SXFP lost 3.2%. Lower rates could weigh on interest margins, a key source of income for lenders.
A handful of defensive stocks, such as heavyweights Unilever ULVR.L and AstraZeneca AZN.L, gained on the day, keeping losses in check.
"Market moves can get exacerbated during summer weeks when you get thinner liquidity and trading, especially in August and that can add to the magnitude of moves," Karim Chedid, Blackrock's chief investment strategist for iShares EMEA, said.
Aglobal wave of risk aversion that began overnight in the U.S. swept across Asia and seeped intoEurope, sending the STOXX 600 to its worst day in over three months.
The sell-off was ignited by a dismal reading in U.S. manufacturing activity on Thursday, which plunged to an eight-month low in July, dampening hopes of a soft landing for the economy.
Separately, Switzerland's annual inflation rate held steady at 1.3% in July, in-line with expectations.
With a light data calendar in Europe, investors are focused onU.S. labour market data, due later in the day, where a below-expectations reading would only accelerate the risk-off sentiment.
"Don't expect this level of correction over the past couple of days to continue, however, we could still see some choppy trading as the macro volatility is high due to GDP and inflation releases," Chedid added.
Among other movers, British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L jumped 5.4% after it delivered a better-than-expected second-quarter profit and dividend while terminating its proposed takeover of Spain's Air Europa.
French insurer AXA AXAF.PA was up 2.2% after BNP Paribas BNPP.PA said it is in exclusive talks with the company to acquire its AXA Investment Managers arm for 5.1 billion euros ($5.50 billion).
French energy company Engie ENGIE.PA surged 8.9% after it lifted its profit forecast following first-halfresults that beat expectations.
($1 = 0.9268 euros)
Reporting by Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Sonia Cheema
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