Stocks slump as bond sell-off escalates

(Alliance News) – Stock prices in Europe opened lower on Thursday, with barely a handful of the FTSE 100 in the green, as lofty government bond yields continue to weigh on investor enthusiasm, despite cooler-than-expected US inflation data on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 index plunged 184.54 points, 1.7%, at 10,421.46. The FTSE 250 slumped 351.25 points, 1.4%, at 24,188.74, and the AIM all-share fell 4.44 points, 0.6%, at 782.96. The Cboe UK 100 fell 1.9% at 1,033.86, the Cboe UK 250 slumped 1.5% at 21,055.20, and the Cboe small companies was down 0.2% at 19,077.60. In European equities on Thursday,…