European stocks fall, STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 down 0.3%
European stocks moved lower on Thursday, with STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 falling 0.3%. The move reverses early gains and extended losses of more than 1% from the prior session.
3%. The moves reversed early gains and followed a prior session loss of more than 1%. Investors weighed the ECB’s latest policy decision after policymakers raised rates by 25bps as expected and lifted growth and inflation forecasts. The central bank said the Middle East conflict was continuing to add inflationary pressure, and it expects inflation to stay above target for an extended period.
Brent crude traded above $102 a barrel as oil prices kept rising. Technology shares were among the weakest ahead of Oracle’s earnings, which are expected to offer more clues on the AI outlook. 5%.