European equities started the third quarter on a softer note, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 slipping 0.3% as investors took a breather following strong gains in the previous quarter. Market participants continued to reassess the AI-driven rally while digesting indications of deadlock in US-Iran negotiations, after Tehran stated it would not hold talks with US officials. Attention was also trained on the ECB Forum, where policymakers from major central banks, including the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, are due to speak later in the day.
The technology sector was broadly flat, with ASML Holding down 0.4%, Infineon Technologies trading around the unchanged line, and STMicroelectronics inching up 0.1%. Among other heavyweight names, LVMH (-0.8%), Siemens (-1.1%), Hermès (-0.5%), and Santander (-1.4%) moved lower. Schneider Electric fell 2.5% after announcing an agreement to acquire Cognite Holding. On the upside, Rheinmetall advanced 2.9% and Airbus rose 1.6%, ranking among the session’s best performers.
