Global Markets | European shares fall as Middle East war, tepid earnings weigh

European shares edged lower on Thursday as an expanding Middle East conflict weighed on market sentiment, while a string ‌of patchy ⁠corporate ⁠earnings added to the gloom.

The pan-European STOXX 600 was down 0.3% at 610.72 points, as of 0810 GMT. The benchmark index on Wednesday had its best day in more than three months, recovering some of the losses accumulated earlier in the week.

Miners led sector ⁠losses with ‌a 1.5% decline.


The U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its sixth day with no quick ⁠resolve in sight, as Tehran launched a fresh barrage of missile strikes at Israel earlier in the day and the U.S. Senate blocked a motion aimed at halting the U.S air campaign.

Investors will also be watching for a speech by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, due ‌later in the day, for clues on the monetary policy outlook.

Markets are also awaiting ​the euro ​zone's January ⁠retail sales data and last month's construction PMI.

Among individual moves, shares of Nexi were halted after an 11.3% slump, hitting ​a record low following the payments firm's full-year results.

DHL dropped 5.4% after the German logistics group reported a 1.3% decline in fourth-quarter operating profit, weighed down by its freight forwarding business.