"Qatar's Stake Sale Sends Barclays Shares Slipping in European Markets"

European markets closed higher, with the Stoxx 600 index up 0.4%. Telecom stocks were among the biggest movers, with Ericsson up 4.4% after striking a deal with AT&T, while Nokia plunged 8.4% on expected losses. U.K. property sales are expected to improve in the next six months. Barclays shares fell 2.5% as Qatar Holding moved to sell millions of its stock. U.K. retail sales in November were dampened as households delayed Christmas spending. The Caixin China services PMI climbed to its highest level in three months, while China's official PMI showed a contraction.