Shares, euro sag after euro zone PMIs disappoint

European stock markets opened higher, spurred by multi-year highs in Asia, but the mood soured after sluggish euro zone and German purchasing manager data followed another dire set of numbers from France. It meant that, overall, euro zone private sector business growth was weaker than forecast, despite a big fall in the euro that could support exports and the launch in March of a much-awaited sovereign bond buying programme from the European Central Bank. Among the milestones were a 15-year peak