Major stock market indexes in Europe opened mostly lower after companies including the Volkswagen Group, BMW, and Daimler Truck posted rather mild earnings results, in contrast to Shell PLC. Investors in the United Kingdom are also geared up for the Bank of England's (BoE) new decision on its interest rate, which is scheduled for later in the day.
The DAX declined by 0.56% or 103 points as Mercedes-Benz Group AG slid by 1.47% at 9:01 am CET. The CAC 40 decreased by 0.71%, with Societe Generale SA plunging by 5.84% at 9:02 am CET. The Eurostoxx 50 dropped by 0.41% as Volkswagen fell by 1.99% at 9:03 am CET. On the other hand, the FTSE 100 gained 0.12%, with Bae Systems PLC increasing by 3.16% at 9:01 am CET.
The euro lost 0.11% to the dollar at 8:58 am CET to sell for $1.08145. A minute later, the pound sterling dipped by 0.39% against the United States currency to change hands for $1.28058.
