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European equities moved lower on Thursday as a sharp rise in oil prices intensified fears about inflation. Brent crude, the global benchmark, briefly climbed above $100 per barrel amid supply concerns following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict involving U.S. airstrikes in Iran entered its thirteenth day with little indication that tensions are easing.

Among major indices, France’s CAC 40 Index declined 0.5%, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index slipped 0.4%, and Germany’s DAX Index fell 0.3%.

In corporate developments, Swiss Life Holding (BIT:1SLHN), one of Europe’s largest life insurers, dropped after its fee-based business moved further away from a key three-year target and its asset management division reported a decline in 2025.

German carmaker BMW (TG:BMW) also traded lower after reporting a 3% drop in full-year net profit.

By contrast, reinsurer Hannover Re (TG:A30VQR) gained ground after announcing higher full-year net income and reaffirming its outlook for 2026.

Daimler Truck Holding (TG:DTG) also rose after guiding for a broadly stable profit margin in its industrial operations for 2026.

Online fashion retailer Zalando (TG:ZAL) moved sharply higher following the release of better-than-expected fiscal 2025 results.

Meanwhile, financial services group Legal & General (LSE:LGEN) advanced after announcing the launch of the first tranche of its £1.2 billion share buyback program.

European equities started Thursday’s session in negative territory as oil prices surged, briefly topping $100 per barrel again amid continued disruptions to shipping linked to the war involving Iran.

By 08:04 GMT, the pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index was down 0.4%. Germany’s DAX Index had slipped 0.2%, France’s CAC 40 Index fell 0.5%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index declined 0.5%.

Crude oil futures jumped sharply, extending recent volatility in energy markets despite efforts by the International Energy Agency to release what would be its largest-ever drawdown of strategic oil reserves to stabilize prices.

The United States has also indicated it plans to release oil from its own strategic reserves. However, analysts warn these steps may only provide short-term relief, noting that a meaningful easing in market tensions will likely depend on the reopening of tanker routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping corridor.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply moves through the narrow waterway south of Iran, but maritime traffic has nearly halted as Tehran threatens to target vessels attempting to cross the strait.

Reports suggest Iran may have deployed naval mines in the area, while the United States Navy has not yet committed to escorting commercial ships because of safety concerns.

The near halt in tanker traffic through the strait has disrupted oil flows, pushed crude prices higher and intensified concerns about rising inflation worldwide. Europe and Asia are especially vulnerable, as both regions rely heavily on oil and gas shipments that typically pass through the strategic waterway, leaving them exposed to the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran that began more than a week ago.

At 04:05 ET, Brent Crude Oil futures, the global benchmark, were up 4.3% at $95.92 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3.8% to $90.54 per barrel.

UK equities opened in negative territory on Thursday as the pound weakened below $1.34 and a sharp rise in oil prices dampened investor sentiment across European markets. The move came as geopolitical tensions pushed crude higher and several major UK-listed companies released updates.

Oil surged above $100 per barrel after Iran reportedly targeted tanker vessels, raising fears of potential supply disruptions. Authorities in Oman also evacuated ships from a key export terminal as a precaution, further fuelling concerns about energy flows in the Middle East and driving crude prices higher.

At around 08:22 GMT, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down about 0.5%. The British pound also declined, with GBP/USD slipping 0.2% to around 1.3385. Other major European markets followed suit, with Germany’s DAX down 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 falling 0.6%.

UK market round-up

Shell plc (LSE:SHEL) reported adjusted earnings of $18.5 billion for 2025, compared with $23.7 billion in 2024. Operating cash flow reached $42.9 billion, down from $54.7 billion a year earlier, while free cash flow totalled $26.1 billion, compared with $39.5 billion previously.

The energy major continued significant shareholder distributions during the year. Combined payouts amounted to roughly $22.4 billion, including $8.5 billion in dividends and $13.9 billion in share buybacks. These returns represented around 52% of operating cash flow, placing distributions at the upper end of the company’s 40%–50% target range.

Computacenter plc (LSE:CCC) also released its full-year 2025 results, reporting adjusted pre-tax profit of £272.0 million, up 7.1% year-on-year and in line with previously guided expectations.

Revenue climbed 32% to £9.19 billion, largely driven by expansion in the Technology Sourcing segment, where gross invoiced income rose 37.8% at constant currency. The technology services group reported strong momentum in North America while continuing to invest across the business.

Bridgepoint Group plc (LSE:BPT) posted full-year 2025 results ahead of forecasts, delivering an adjusted EBITDA result roughly 4% above expectations. The outperformance was attributed to higher catch-up fees and stronger performance-related earnings.

Underlying management fee income reached £427.7 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, representing 13% growth excluding catch-up fees booked in the prior year. The company reaffirmed forward guidance that exceeds analysts’ expectations for revenue growth and margin expansion.

Trainline plc (LSE:TRN) reported FY26 trading results showing total revenue of £453 million, an increase of 2% and at the top end of company guidance. The figure was slightly above market forecasts of £449 million.

Net ticket sales rose 6% on a constant-currency basis, within the group’s guidance range of 6%–9%, though at the lower end. The company also reported strong growth in ancillary revenue, which increased 17%.

M&G plc (LSE:MNG) reported net inflows of £7.8 billion from open business in 2025, reversing net outflows of £1.9 billion recorded in 2024.

Adjusted operating profit before tax came in at £838 million, broadly unchanged from £837 million the previous year. Assets under management and administration rose to £375.9 billion, up from £345.9 billion at the end of 2024.

Halma plc (LSE:HLMA) said it remains on track to meet its upgraded expectations for the 2026 financial year, first announced alongside its interim results.

The safety technology group reported that order intake continues to run ahead of both year-to-date revenue and the previous year’s performance, reflecting continued strong demand during the second half of the fiscal year.

Informa plc (LSE:INF) reported full-year 2025 results broadly in line with expectations and reiterated its outlook for 2026 despite disruption to travel in parts of the Middle East.

The B2B events and academic publishing company generated revenue of £4,041.4 million in 2025, representing reported growth of 13.7% and underlying growth of 6.3% from £3,553.1 million in 2024. Informa also increased its share buyback programme by £50 million, taking the total to £250 million.

Helios Towers plc (LSE:HTWS) reported fourth-quarter results that surpassed expectations for new site additions, profitability and free cash flow, according to analysis from Jefferies.

The telecommunications infrastructure company recorded revenue growth of 5.9% year-on-year for the quarter, while EBITDA increased 15%. Recurring free cash flow also rose 2.4% during the period.

Separately, Tesla Energy Ventures Limited has been granted a licence to supply electricity to domestic and business customers across Great Britain.

The licence was approved by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets following a regulatory review process conducted between July 2025 and March 2026. The approval allows the company to enter the UK retail electricity market and provide power to both household and commercial customers nationwide.

European equities mostly declined on Wednesday as oil prices recovered following a sharp drop of more than 11% in the previous trading session.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were up about 2.6% during European hours, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contracts climbed over 4% as the conflict involving Iran continued to intensify, with the United States and Israel carrying out air strikes against Iranian targets across the Middle East.

On a relatively quiet economic calendar, data showed that inflation in Germany cooled in February in line with earlier estimates, largely due to a slower rise in food prices.

Final figures from Destatis indicated that the consumer price index increased 1.9% year-on-year in February, matching the preliminary reading.

The EU-harmonised inflation rate in Germany also edged down slightly, easing to 2.0% in February from 2.1% in January.

Across European markets, Germany’s DAX index fell around 1.3%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 each declined roughly 0.7%.

Shares of German consumer goods and adhesives producer Henkel (TG:HEN3) dropped sharply after the company released mixed results for the fourth quarter.

Defense manufacturer Rheinmetall (TG:RHM) also declined significantly after issuing a 2026 sales outlook that fell short of market expectations.

Promotional products distributor 4imprint (LSE:FOUR) also tumbled after announcing weaker-than-expected results for 2025.

Insurance group Legal & General Group (LSE:LGEN) also slid despite reporting 2025 results broadly in line with forecasts and unveiling its largest-ever share buyback program, worth £1.2 billion.

On the upside, German state-owned energy company Uniper (TG:UN0) advanced after posting strong financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Meanwhile, shares in British construction firm Balfour Beatty (LSE:BBY) surged after the company announced a £200 million share buyback and increased its full-year dividend following higher profits and a record order backlog.

European equities moved slightly lower on Wednesday as investors monitored developments in the conflict involving Iran and reacted to reports about a potential release of additional oil supplies.

By 08:00 GMT, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index had declined 0.5%. Germany’s DAX dropped 1.0%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.9%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was down 0.6%.

Markets in Europe followed a relatively steady lead from Asian trading, where investors responded to a Wall Street Journal report stating that the International Energy Agency was considering the largest release of strategic oil reserves in its history in an effort to curb rising crude prices.

The news provided some relief after significant volatility in energy markets earlier in the week. The global Brent benchmark is now trading close to $90 per barrel after briefly approaching $120.

At 04:04 ET, Brent crude futures were up 2.2% at $89.75 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 2.2% to $85.33 per barrel.

Meanwhile, tensions in Iran remained elevated. The United States and Israel exchanged air strikes with Iran across the Middle East on Wednesday, while authorities in Tehran signaled readiness to suppress any internal unrest.

Financial markets have largely been betting that U.S. President Donald Trump will seek a swift end to the confrontation. However, Trump has warned that Washington could launch strikes against Iran if the country attempts to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which roughly one-fifth of global crude supply is transported.

Outside geopolitical developments, investors in Europe also examined fresh inflation figures from Germany, which showed harmonized consumer prices rising month-on-month in February as expected.

Later in the day, U.S. inflation data will be closely watched by markets. Economists expect headline consumer prices to increase 2.4% year-on-year through February and 0.3% compared with the previous month.