European equity markets were poised to open lower on Monday as oil prices extended their rally amid escalating clashes between the US and Iran, keeping inflation and interest rate risks firmly in focus. Investors were also grappling with an intensifying selloff in semiconductor stocks, driven by mounting doubts over the durability of heavy spending on artificial intelligence. At the same time, markets were set to scrutinize Germany’s producer price index and Eurozone construction output for fresh signals on the region’s economic trajectory. On the corporate front, Ryanair Holdings reported a 34% decline in fiscal first-quarter profit, citing higher oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict and softer demand for air travel. In premarket trading, futures on both the Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 were down around 0.3%.