Major European stock markets closed mostly lower on Friday after the European Commission's latest report showed that consumer confidence in the euro area decreased further in March. Investors digested the latest inflation data from Spain and France and the French and Italian reports on producer prices. The United Kingdom also released its reports on the trade deficit, which grew in the fourth quarter, and GDP and retail sales, which also saw an increase.
The DAX dropped by 0.96% at the closing bell, with Commerzbank falling by 4.74%, while the FTSE 100 was flat. At the same time, the CAC 40 decreased by 0.93%, as Stellantis declined by 3.81%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 slipped by 0.92% at the close, with Infineon Tech down by 4.04%.
The euro gained 0.27% against the dollar and sold for $1.08307 at 5:28 pm CET. Meanwhile, the pound was flat compared to the dollar, selling for $1.29463 at 5:29 pm CET.
