European Shares Mixed With The Decline in Commodity Prices

The performance of European stocks varied in early trading, as the leading British stock index was affected by the decline in commodity prices, while other indices in the region stabilized near their recent high levels with the end of the corporate earnings season.

Shares of oil companies Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Total Energies each fell about one%, with oil prices falling more than two percent due to fears that demand for fuel will decline due to Covid-19 restrictions in Asia.

Mining companies Rio Tinto, BHP Group, and Glencore also fell due to lower metal prices.

Britain’s FTSE 100 index, which is packed with commodity companies, fell 0.2%, while France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX rose more than 0.1% each.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index posted its strongest weekly performance since mid-March on Friday, buoyed by a boom in deal activity and a solid results season.