Europen Markets Trading Lower Over Concerns About Economy, Oil, Weak Data

Europen shares are lower in the mid day trading on Wednesday with much weakness in London and Paris following mixed trading in Asian markets and negative Wall Street sentiment. Investors continue to worry about the global economy and rising crude oil prices, and are anxious towards trade and inflation data due from China later in the week.

As per economic data, factory orders in Germany are down 11.7 percent, versus an upwardly revised 7.6 percent increase in the previous month. Markets had anticipated a decline of 4 percent only.

In economic news, Eurozone July retail sales dropped 1 percent year-over-year, and 0.2 percent sequentially.

UK S&P Global/CIPS Construction PMI in August was 50.8, compared to 51.7 in July.

The Czech Republic’s industrial production contracted for the first time in six months in July as output declined in all subsectors, data from the Czech Statistical Office revealed. Another data showed that the foreign trade deficit narrowed sharply in July from a year ago as imports fell faster than exports.

Finland’s foreign trade deficit decreased in July as imports fell faster than exports, as per preliminary figures from Finnish Customs. The trade deficit narrowed notably in July the corresponding month last year.

France’s CAC 40 was down 0.90 percent at 7,189.57 adding to the 0.34 percent drop in the previous close.

U.K.’s FTSE 100 fell 0.89 percent at 7,371.93, after finishing 0.20 percent lower a day earlier.

Germany’s DAX was at 15,702.26, down 0.44 percent, after losing 0.34 percent in the previous day.

Switzerland’s SMI dropped 0.78 percent to 10,873.70 after ending 0.86 percent lower in the previous close.

The pan European Stoxx 600 fell 0.58 percent at 454.25.

Asian stock markets traded Wednesday on a mixed note. Japan’s Nikkei 225 traded 0.62 percent higher. China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.12 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged down 0.04 percent.

Wall Street had closed on a negative note on Tuesday, as weak PMI data from Europe and China triggered concerns about the health of the global economy and dampened market sentiment. Nasdaq Composite shed 0.08 percent to close at 14,020.95 whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.56 percent to finish trading at 34,641.97.

In corporate news, Telefonica S.A. gained around 2 percent after Saudi Telecommunication Co. or stc Group’s acquisition of a 9.9 percent stake in the Spanish telecommunication firm in 2.1 billion euros deal.

Polish parcel locker company InPost gained 10.1 percent after reporting higher second-quarter results. Shares of Swiss insurer Swiss Life Holding AG were up 2.5 percent after reporting higher first-half profit.

Renault stock was up 2.8 percent, and United Internet AG was up 2.2 percent.

Among losers, Swiss biotech Idorsia Ltd. was down 8.1 percent. The company agreed with Janssen Biotech Inc., affiliated to Johnson & Johnson, for the return of rights for aprocitentan. In return, Idorsia will pay up to 306 million Swiss francs, subject to marketing application approval by the US FDA and Europe’s EMA.

WH Smith stock fell 6 percent. In its pre-close update, the company said it expects the outcome for fiscal 2023 to be in line with the upgraded expectations which followed the previous trading update.

British drug major AstraZeneca was down 1 percent after it said the FDA has issued a complete response letter regarding the supplemental Biologics License Application for long-acting C5 complement inhibitor Ultomiris to treat adult patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder who are anti-aquaporin-4 antibody positive.

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