European equities moved lower on Tuesday, with investors adopting a cautious stance ahead of major technology earnings and the upcoming Federal Reserve policy decision.
Geopolitical tensions also weighed on sentiment, as reports suggested the Trump administration is unlikely to accept Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while postponing discussions around its nuclear program.
Iran’s defense ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik said the United States is no longer able to “dictate” its policies to sovereign nations and that Washington should “accept that it must abandon its illegal and irrational demands.”
In the markets, Germany’s DAX Index fell 0.7%, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.6%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%.
Among individual stocks, Barclays (LSE:BARC) declined sharply after setting aside more than £800 million to cover potential losses linked to the collapse of a mortgage lender.
Sweden’s Securitas (TG:S7MB) also came under pressure after reporting first-quarter earnings below expectations, impacted by currency headwinds.
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) moved lower as the Swiss pharmaceutical group missed both sales and profit forecasts for the quarter.
Air Liquide (EU:AI) also posted notable losses after reporting weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue.
Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW.) dropped significantly after the U.K. homebuilder warned of ongoing pricing pressure and increased its expectations for build-cost inflation in 2026, citing higher energy costs.
In contrast, Norwegian Air Shuttle (TG:NWC) surged after reporting a narrower net loss for the first quarter.
Oil majors BP Plc (LSE:BP.) and Shell (LSE:SHEL) also gained, supported by rising crude prices, with Brent futures holding above $110 per barrel as efforts to resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict remain stalled.
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