European Markets React to Upcoming U.S. Tariffs and Economic Data

As the opening bell rang across Europe, major indexes showed a downward trend, with investors closely monitoring the impending U.S. tariffs scheduled for April 2. Amidst this, Germany reported a surprising 4.9% rise in retail sales for February, offering a glimmer of hope.

Key Performers and Losers in the Market

The DAX saw a decrease of 0.97%, with Siemens leading the losses at 3.40%. The FTSE 100 wasn't far behind, dropping 0.29%, as Associated British Foods fell by 3.44%. The Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 also faced declines, with BASF and Teleperformance being the worst performers, dropping 2.51% and 2.12% respectively.

Currency Movements

On the currency front, the euro and pound sterling showed slight gains against the dollar, trading at 1.08406 and 1.29608 respectively, indicating a mixed response from the forex markets to the day's developments.