Reuters – French shares led losses in European markets on Monday following one of the worst waves of protest-related violence in years over the weekend, while investor sentiment remained fragile ahead of a busy week of corporate earnings.
French CAC 40 Index Falls 1.02 Percent
The benchmark French CAC 40 index dropped 1.02 percent after nationwide protests, triggered by rising prices and deteriorating public services, shook the second-largest economy in the Eurozone as it faces weak growth and rising debt.
European STOXX 600 Index Declines 0.39%
The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.39 percent to 642.24 points by 0708 GMT, after gaining more than two percent in the previous week.
Banking Sector Leads Losses Following a 1.4% Drop
The banking sector recorded the largest decline, dropping 1.4 percent, while the Spanish index, which is heavily weighted towards banking stocks, slid 0.9 percent.
Investors are awaiting corporate earnings from major European and US companies in an attempt to bolster risk appetite following a sell-off in AI-related stocks last week amid concerns over rising debt required to fund infrastructure.
In individual stock movements, shares of Norwegian salmon farming company Mowi rose 4.1 percent after reporting its highest-ever third-quarter salmon harvest volume.
