European shares end lower after 'flash crash' scare    

Data released over the weekend showed factory activity in China contracted more than feared in April as widespread Covid-19 lockdowns halted industrial production and disrupted supply chains. 

European stocks closed lower today, in a session that marked sharp losses after a sudden brief crash, while downbeat China factory data sparked worries of a sharp economic slowdown.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index dropped 1.5%, set to snap a three-day session of gains. The index fell as much as 3% earlier in the day, and the Stockholm benchmark stock index shed 8% in what brokers said was a "flash crash" or an erroneous trade.