European shares were flat on Wednesday, with gains in heavyweight healthcare stocks offsetting the decline in the broader market, as investors fretted over a potential delay in the closely-watched US jobs data.
The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX), opened new tab held steady at 557.9 points, after posting its third successive monthly gain in September.
Local bourses were mixed. Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, while the UK's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2% to an all-time high.
Healthcare stocks jumped 2.7%, and Novartis gained 2.8%.
