The FTSE 100 led the slide in London with a 0.6% decline, mirrored by broader weakness on the continent where the CAC 40 fell 0.3% and the DAX dropped 0.8%. Individual performance varied sharply; Financiere Richemont and ASML Holding provided rare momentum, gaining 6.6% and 5.4% respectively, while Axfood and Elisa faced heavier selling pressure, falling 10.2% and 3.8%.

Commodity markets reacted with more uniformity. Brent crude rose 1.3% to $85.82 a barrel, and WTI crude tracked higher by 1.1% to $80.19. Natural gas prices also saw upward movement, with the Dutch TTF contract reaching 54.2 euros per megawatt hour. In the bond markets, yields continued their climb, as the German 10-year Bund rose to 3.167% and the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.605%.