April 4 (Bloomberg) -- European energy stocks dropped as oil prices fell, fueling concern that earnings at BP Plc and Total SA will decline. Benchmarks in the region were little changed.
Air France-KLM Group and Ryanair Holdings Plc led gains by airlines as investors bet fuel costs will drop. Royal Ahold NV rose to the highest in more than four years on speculation it will merge with Belgium's Delhaize Group.
The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index climbed 0.1 percent to 379.67 at 10:45 a.m. in London. The Stoxx 50 was little changed and the Euro Stoxx 50, a measure for the 13 nations sharing the euro, advanced 0.2 percent.
The Stoxx 600 Index is now less than three points shy of a six-year high reached on Feb. 19 as a flurry of takeovers offset concern the U.S. economy is slowing. A report today may show growth at U.S. service industries picked up last month from the lowest level in almost four years.
``The positive fundamental environment for stocks hasn't changed,'' said Christoph Berger, who helps manage about $75 billion at Cominvest Asset Management in Frankfurt. ``We're seeing the correction of the correction.''
The Institute for Supply Management's index of non- manufacturing businesses, which make up almost 90 percent of the economy, rose to 55 from 54.3 the prior month, according to the median forecast of 67 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Readings above 50 signal expansion.
National benchmarks rose in 14 of 18 markets in western Europe. France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent, and Germany's DAX gained 0.3 percent. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 slid 0.1 percent.
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