European equities fell sharply on Friday, extending the prior session’s decline as concerns over a possible bubble in artificial intelligence and uncertainty surrounding the U.S. interest-rate path weighed on sentiment.
Although the United States finally ended its record-long government shutdown, the agreement that reopened federal agencies left several key policy issues unresolved.
Adding to the unease, the White House signaled that October’s employment and inflation figures will “likely never” be published due to the shutdown’s disruption.
Investors also had to digest fresh evidence of China’s weakening economy, with October data reflecting sluggish consumer spending and deeper stress across the property sector.
By mid-morning trading, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 had fallen 1.9%, Germany’s DAX was down 1.8%, and France’s CAC 40 had declined 1.7%.
Land Securities (LSE:LAND) dropped sharply even after the British property group reported solid income growth for the six months to September 30, 2025.
Swiss Re (TG:SR9) also moved lower despite posting nine-month net earnings of $4 billion, up 85% from a year earlier.
In contrast, Siemens Energy (BIT:1ENR) jumped after the German manufacturer significantly upgraded its mid-term outlook, supported by strong demand for gas turbines, services, and power-transmission equipment.
Luxury group Richemont (TG:RITN) advanced as well, buoyed by robust first-half growth, while Allianz (TG:ALV) rose after delivering a stronger-than-expected 15% increase in third-quarter profit.
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