European shares slip as mixed earnings and Middle East tensions weigh on markets

European shares slipped modestly on February 19, 2026, as the pan-European index retreated from the record close achieved the previous day. The downward movement coincided with a set of mixed corporate earnings from Airbus, Nestlé, and Rio Tinto, as well as heightened military activity involving the United States US and Iran IR, which together weighed on investor sentiment.

Airbus SE AIR.PA saw its shares drop 5.4% following its earnings release. In contrast, Nestlé reported results that led to a 3.5% gain in its stock price. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto Group RIO.L fell 3.8% after its own financial update, a move that helped push the broader mining index down by 2.3%.