European stocks edged lower on Tuesday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 slipping around 0.1%, extending the STOXX 50’s losing streak to a seventh consecutive session. Sentiment remained cautious amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, and rising oil prices. The White House said US officials were reviewing Iran’s latest proposal, but stressed that key “red lines” remain for any agreement to end the eight-week conflict.
Corporate earnings were another key driver of market moves. Novartis shares fell 4.1% after the company reported core operating profit and revenue below forecasts. BP gained 2.4% as its profit more than doubled, while Barclays slipped 3.4% after results disappointed investors. Air Liquide lost about 3% following a revenue miss. AstraZeneca (-1.1%) and Siemens Energy (-2.3%) also traded lower, whereas Shell (1.7%), TotalEnergies (1.1%), and UniCredit (1.5%) posted solid gains.
