European stocks hit by losses in defensives; chipmakers rise

(Reuters) - European stocks slipped on Wednesday, weighed down by defensive sectors, as investors remained cautious about a surge in the number of global coronavirus cases.The pan-European STOXX 600 , which had closed at a near two-week high in the previous session, slid 0.5%, with food and beverage , telecoms , and healthcare stocks falling between 0.7% and 0.8%.Many U.S. states have reported record daily increases in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. A media report that European Union..