Global Stocks

European stocks fell Thursday, marking a second straight decline as a pullback in crude-oil futures off multimonth highs weighed on energy shares.

Among oil producers, Neste Corp. NESTE, -1.28% declined 1.3%, France's Total SA FP, -1.21% gave up 1.2%, and Spain's Respsol SA REP, -2.18% fell 2.2%. Oilfield data-services provider TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. ASA TGS, -3.72% slumped 3.7%.

Crude prices turned lower in early European trade, with Brent LCOQ6, -0.29% slipping 1.1% to $51.96 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate CLN6, -0.40% futures were off 1.3% at $50.56. But oil prices were still on track for a weekly jump of more than 4%.

U.S. stocks pared earlier losses but ended in negative territory, snapping a three-day win streak as oil futures pulled back from 10-month highs.

The S&P 500 SPX, -0.17% declined 3.64 points, or 0.2%, to close at 2,115.48, coming back from an 11-point deficit earlier in the session, with materials and financial stocks leading the losses. Seven out of the index's 10 sectors finished lower, with consumer staples, telecoms and utilities showing slight gains.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.11% slipped 19.86 points, or 0.1%, to close at 17,985.19, after being down by as many as 89 points earlier in the session. Shares of American Express Co. AXP, -0.83% Caterpillar Inc. CAT, -1.22% and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, -0.95% led blue chips lower.

Asian shares pulled back on Friday as investors sought refuge in safe-haven assets amid festering concerns over the June 23 referendum that could see Britain exit the European Union.

Japan's Nikkei declined 0.5 percent, extending losses for the week to 0.3 percent.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped 0.3 percent, heading for a loss of 1.4 percent for the week.

"There are concerns over 'Brexit' as polls seem to suggest the probability of Britain leaving Europe is rising," said Tatsushi Maeno, managing director at PineBridge Investments.

"You can't buy risk assets under such conditions even if you want to," he said.