European shares drop as Middle East conflict intensifies
European futures fell as Trump vowed more strikes on Iran. Brent crude topped $100 while markets weighed the impact of conflict on inflation and growth.
Futures tracking Europe's main stock indexes fell by more than 1% on Thursday as hopes for a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict diminished. Market sentiment soured after the United States President Donald Trump vowed to intensify military actions against Iran.
Futures for the pan-European STOXX 600 index slid nearly 2% in early trading, while contracts tracking the GLOBAL X DAX GERMANY ETF and the X CAC 40 1D fell by 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively. This volatility follows a 2% jump in the STOXX 600 on Wednesday, which was driven by earlier suggestions that hostilities might soon conclude.
