European stock markets opened lower , with caution ahead of the conclusion of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting later in the day. The Stoxx Europe 600 index slipped fractionally to 327.85 after opening with a small gain. Decliners included Smiths Group PLC down 4.6% after the technology firm's profit fell during the first half of its fiscal year. Among country-specific indexes, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index shed 0.3% to 6,587.61 before the release of monthly jobs data as well as minutes from the Bank of England's most recent meeting. Germany's DAX 30 index rose 0.1% to 9,248.72, and France's CAC 400 index picked up 0.2% at 4,303.38