European shares flat, Croda leads losses on profit warning

© Thomson Reuters German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt

(Reuters) – European shares were flat on Friday at the end of a lacklustre week, which saw investors step to the sidelines ahead of updates from major central banks, while Croda traded at the bottom of the benchmark index following a tepid profit outlook.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index held its ground at 460.57 points by 0718 GMT, and was set to end the week listless.

Investor focus next week will be on policy meetings from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.

Shares of Croda International tumbled 11% to lead losses in the STOXX 600 after the British chemicals company forecast its annual pre-tax earnings to come in below expectations.

The broader European chemicals index fell 1.3%, leading sectoral falls.

(Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)