FX.co ★ European Shares Lower

European equities edged lower on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.4% and the STOXX 600 off 0.2%, as rising oil prices and renewed tensions in the Middle East weighed on risk appetite. Sentiment was further dampened by new trade measures announced by President Trump. The US Trade Representative has proposed additional tariffs of up to 12.5% on 60 trading partners, including the EU, China, and Japan, over their alleged failure to block imports of goods produced with forced labor. Energy-sensitive airline stocks came under pressure, with Lufthansa and Air France each losing around 1%, while automakers also traded lower. By contrast, retail names outperformed, led by Inditex, which gained 4.6% after reporting a 5.4% rise in first-quarter profit.