European stocks extend slide as French protests dent risk appetite

Oct 20 (Reuters) - European shares extended losses on Tuesday as investors weighed the impact of political instability in France, which has dampened risk appetite across regional markets.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX was down 0.27% at 637.84 points by 0709 GMT, after slipping 0.8% in the previous session. France's benchmark CAC 40 index .FCHI edged 0.2% lower.

Late on Monday, French authorities set curfews in parts of several cities including Paris, Lille and Nice a weekend of riots and looting stemming from nationwide anti-government protests.

The protests have intensified pressure on the euro zone's second-largest economy, which is grappling with soft economic growth and ballooning government debt. The unrest also underscores the challenges the government faces in reducing its large deficit.

Elsewhere, investors assessed a raft of corporate earnings reports.

French cloud operator OVHcloud OVH.PA jumped 8.5% after reporting its first positive levered free cash flow since its 2021 listing, as its revenue grew 7.2% to €1.15 billion ($1.29 billion) in the financial year through August.

Shares of Barco BAR.BR dropped 12.9% after the visualisation technology company forecast full-year sales to come in slightly below last year's levels, with an EBITDA margin of about 11%.