Shares fall, euro at 2014 high on euro zone inflation

By Jamie McGeever LONDON (Reuters) – European stocks fell on Friday and the euro rose to its highest level this year after euro zone inflation unexpectedly held steady this month, cooling growing expectations the European Central Bank might ease monetary policy as early as next week. That followed the biggest weekly fall in China's currency for two decades and came ahead of the first estimate later in the day of U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter of last year. Investors also kept close tabs on Ukraine, where the central bank capped bank withdrawals and banned trading of certain currency contracts, as the acting President dismissed the army chief of staff and Russian helicopters were dispatched to Crimea. Diminishing prospects of an interest rate cut by the ECB as early as next week was the biggest driver, though.