European Stocks Trade Mixed as Earnings Diverge and Iran-U.S. Talks Loom: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

European equities showed little clear direction on Wednesday, as investors assessed a mixed batch of corporate earnings while also preparing for a potential new round of face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran, which could begin as early as this weekend.

Reports suggest Washington has outlined two fresh conditions ahead of any renewed dialogue. According to Israel Hayom, the U.S. is seeking a full and unrestricted reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and continues to emphasize a reciprocal approach in negotiations.

On the macroeconomic front, updated data from France’s statistics agency INSEE showed that harmonized consumer price inflation for March came in slightly higher than initially estimated.

EU-harmonized inflation reached 2.0% for the month, above the preliminary reading of 1.9% and up from 1.1% in February.

Domestic consumer price inflation in France was confirmed at 1.7%, rising from 0.9% the previous month and marking the fastest pace of increase since August 2024.

Meanwhile, Eurostat reported that industrial production across the eurozone rose 0.4% in February compared with January.

In equity markets, France’s CAC 40 was down 0.6%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 hovered around flat levels and Germany’s DAX edged up 0.1%.

Hermes International (EU:RMS) dropped 10% after reporting slower first-quarter sales growth.

Stellantis (BIT:STLAM) climbed 3.4% after announcing a 12% increase in global vehicle shipments for the first quarter.

ASML (EU:ASML) gained 1.7% after lifting its 2026 sales outlook, supported by first-quarter results that exceeded expectations.

Aegon (EU:AGN) declined nearly 2% following an agreement to sell its UK operations to Standard Life in a deal valued at £2 billion.

Rank Group (LSE:RNK) surged 11% in London after raising its full-year underlying operating profit guidance, supported by a 5% year-on-year increase in fiscal third-quarter net gaming revenue.

Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO) rose 3.2%. Despite reporting a decline in first-quarter copper output, the company said it expects production to increase progressively over the rest of the year.