Reported by Álvaro Romero Mateu
European stock markets closed with moderate declines, influenced by the rise in oil prices and uncertainty over negotiations between the US and Iran. The Ibex 35 fell by 0.6%, the EuroStoxx 50 dropped by 0.3% and the STOXX 600 fell by 0.6%.
In Asia, the session was mixed. In Japan, the TOPIX fell by 0.4%; in South Korea, the KOSPI dropped by 0.5%; in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng fell by 1.3%; and in mainland China, the CSI 300 rose by 0.1%.
The main focus of the day was once again on the Middle East. New attacks in Iran reignited fears of disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and led Brent to recoup some of its losses, trading in the $94–95 per barrel range.
In Spain, Indra led the gains on the Ibex 35 with a rise of nearly 5%, after announcing the sale of Minsait Business Consulting to Waterland to strengthen businesses considered more strategic, particularly defence and technology. On the downside, the banking sector and several defensive stocks weighed on the index.
In Europe, the technology sector held up better than the market as a whole, with notable gains in Infineon and STMicroelectronics. Conversely, the rise in oil prices did not prevent a more cautious tone in cyclical sectors and consumer-related companies.
In the United States, Wall Street was trading slightly higher at the close of European markets, having digested mixed macroeconomic data, with the market watching to see whether the energy rally might complicate the inflation outlook in the coming months. At the close of European trading, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were trading up by around 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively.
A session of limited movements in European sovereign debt, with investors balancing the oil price rally with a moderate search for higher-quality assets.
