European Stocks Dip Amid Commodity Gains, Luxury Sector Losses: Reuters

European stocks experienced a slight downturn, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index closing 0.2% lower, according to a Reuters report. France's benchmark index led the regional decline, falling by 0.6%. Sector performance diverged significantly. Defence stocks, including Rheinmetall, surged between 3% and 8% following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump concerning Ukraine. Rising copper and crude oil prices also fueled gains in the basic resource and energy sectors. Conversely, the luxury subindex declined by 1.5%, impacted by losses from companies such as LVMH. The healthcare sector also slipped by 0.6%, with AstraZeneca shares falling by 2%. Market participants reportedly analyzed recent remarks from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which provided limited insight into the future direction of interest rates.