European Stocks Down for 4th Session

On Wednesday, the STOXX 50 experienced a 0.9% decline, accompanied by a 0.6% drop in the STOXX 600. This marked the fourth consecutive session of losses, influenced by ongoing tensions with the United States regarding newly imposed tariffs and President Trump's expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, both of which continue to dampen investor confidence. Market participants are also keenly anticipating President Trump's upcoming appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, hoping for indications of future policy directions. The downturn was primarily driven by large-cap stocks, with notable declines from ASML Holding (-0.9%), SAP (-2.0%), Novo Nordisk (-2.3%), HSBC (-1.2%), and AstraZeneca (-1.1%). Conversely, LVMH rose by 1.7% after enduring losses over seven consecutive sessions. Leading the day's top performers were ThyssenKrupp (+5.5%) and Burberry (+5.4%). Additionally, Rio Tinto saw a nearly 5% increase following the release of its quarterly iron ore and copper production results, which surpassed market expectations.