European Stocks Close Mostly Lower Amid Lockdown Worries

European stocks showed a mixed performance on Tuesday as the continent enters into the third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, which is leading to reintroducing lockdown measures in a number of countries.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed lower by 0.12% at 423.65 points, as the auto sector decline by 2.5% following a recent upward trend that came on the back of positive expectations for the industry.

The French CAC40 index finished lower by 0.39%, while the German index DAX rose marginally by 0.03%, following the decision of Chancellor Angela Merkel to extend lockdown to April 18, including during the Easter holiday.

In the UK, the FTSE100 index declined by 0.40%, despite data showing a surprise decline in the unemployment rate to 5% during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020.