European markets closed lower Friday, as investors reacted to conflicting signals about the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed down around 0.4%, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Retailers were among the worst performers, Ocado leading the sector’s losses with a more than 7% drop.

Meanwhile, data from Chinese customs on Friday showed the country’s October exports fell 0.9% year-on-year, while imports fell 6.4%. The figures reportedly beat analysts’ expectations.

Looking at individual stocks, Richemont tumbled toward the bottom of the European benchmark. The Swiss watchmaker reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the first half of the year, as political protests in Hong Kong weighed on sales growth. Shares of the firm slipped over 6% on the news.

Source: CNBC