Investing.com - European stock markets remained sharply lower on Monday, as sentiment was hit by sustained concerns over Greece’s debt crisis and after downbeat economic data from the euro zone.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.97%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.72%, while Germany’s DAX 30 tumbled 1.13%.
Investors were eyeing the March 8 deadline for bondholders to join the agreement under which they will exchange their existing Greek government bonds for new paper in a swap deal.
Sentiment was hit earlier after data showed that investor confidence in the euro zone for March improved less-than-expected, remaining in negative territory for the eighth consecutive month.
A separate report showed that the services sector in the single currency bloc contracted at a faster rate than initially expected in February, shrinking for the fifth time in six months.
Also Monday, official data showed that retail sales across the euro zone rose for the first time in five months in January, increasing by a seasonally adjusted 0.3%, defying expectations for a 0.1% decline.
Financial stocks remained broadly lower with shares in German lenders Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank tumbling 2.13% and 3.11% respectively, while France’s BNP Paribas and Societe Generale declined 1.79% and 1.89%.
Peripheral lenders also contributed to losses. Shares in Italian Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo plummeted 1.21% and 1.32%, while Spain’s BBVA and Banco Santander sank 1.82% and 1.73%.
Meanwhile, Germany-based chemical company BASF SE lost 1.55% after Citigroup downgraded the shares to “neutral” from “buy,” citing a potential risk to earnings from chemicals if the price of crude oil continues to increase.
In London, FTSE 100 dropped 0.47%, as data showed that the service sector index in the U.K. declined more-than-expected in February.
U.K. lenders continued to track their European counterparts lower. Shares in HSBC Holdings retreated 1.43% and Barclays plunged 1.36%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland slumped 1.28%.
Mining giants Rio Tinto and Bhp Billiton added to losses, with shares declining 2.84% and 1.55% respectively. Rio Tinto said earlier that it will review its Bell Bay aluminum smelter in Australia because of rising costs and falling prices for the lightweight metal.
On the upside, BP surged 1.53% as Europe’s second-biggest oil company reached a USD7.8 billion settlement with businesses and individuals over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a fall of -%, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.45% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.44% loss.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce government data on factory orders, while the Institute of Supply Management was to release a report on service sector growth.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.97%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.72%, while Germany’s DAX 30 tumbled 1.13%.
Investors were eyeing the March 8 deadline for bondholders to join the agreement under which they will exchange their existing Greek government bonds for new paper in a swap deal.
Sentiment was hit earlier after data showed that investor confidence in the euro zone for March improved less-than-expected, remaining in negative territory for the eighth consecutive month.
A separate report showed that the services sector in the single currency bloc contracted at a faster rate than initially expected in February, shrinking for the fifth time in six months.
Also Monday, official data showed that retail sales across the euro zone rose for the first time in five months in January, increasing by a seasonally adjusted 0.3%, defying expectations for a 0.1% decline.
Financial stocks remained broadly lower with shares in German lenders Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank tumbling 2.13% and 3.11% respectively, while France’s BNP Paribas and Societe Generale declined 1.79% and 1.89%.
Peripheral lenders also contributed to losses. Shares in Italian Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo plummeted 1.21% and 1.32%, while Spain’s BBVA and Banco Santander sank 1.82% and 1.73%.
Meanwhile, Germany-based chemical company BASF SE lost 1.55% after Citigroup downgraded the shares to “neutral” from “buy,” citing a potential risk to earnings from chemicals if the price of crude oil continues to increase.
In London, FTSE 100 dropped 0.47%, as data showed that the service sector index in the U.K. declined more-than-expected in February.
U.K. lenders continued to track their European counterparts lower. Shares in HSBC Holdings retreated 1.43% and Barclays plunged 1.36%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland slumped 1.28%.
Mining giants Rio Tinto and Bhp Billiton added to losses, with shares declining 2.84% and 1.55% respectively. Rio Tinto said earlier that it will review its Bell Bay aluminum smelter in Australia because of rising costs and falling prices for the lightweight metal.
On the upside, BP surged 1.53% as Europe’s second-biggest oil company reached a USD7.8 billion settlement with businesses and individuals over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a fall of -%, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.45% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.44% loss.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce government data on factory orders, while the Institute of Supply Management was to release a report on service sector growth.