FX.co ★ European Stocks Lower on Renewed Trade Concerns

On Thursday, European stock markets experienced a downturn, as the STOXX 50 fell by 0.5% and the STOXX 600 decreased by 0.3%, driven by increasing trade concerns. President Donald announced his intention to dispatch letters to principal trading partners within the forthcoming weeks, outlining unilateral tariff rates. Despite this, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that there may be an extension of the current 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs for nations that exhibit "good faith" during negotiations. Additionally, President Trump asserted earlier that a new trade agreement with China had been reached. On the corporate side, significant declines were observed in shares of Kering (-1.6%), Volkswagen (-1.5%), Philips (-1.4%), and BMW (-1.2%). Conversely, the energy sector saw gains, with Eni rising by 1.7% and Repsol climbing by 1.2%. Tesco also reported an approximately 1.5% increase, buoyed by accelerated sales growth.