ANKARA (AA) – European stock markets ended the last trading day of the week with a decline amid persisting concerns over rising inflation around the world.
The Stoxx Europe 600 benchmark index slipped 1.63% to 431.11 points.
The DAX 30 index in Germany dropped 1.64% to 13,674.29 points, after data released on Friday showed the country’s industrial production fell more than expected in March, down 3.9% month-on-month.
This was the largest decrease since April 2020, according to the German statistical authority Destatis.
The UK’s FTSE 100 index was down 1.54% to 7,387.54 points, while France’s CAC 40 index fell by 1.73% to 6,258.36 points.
Italy’s FTSE MIB 30 index recorded a loss of 1.20% to close at 23,475.72 points.
The downward trend in European stocks also came after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks on Friday that Europe should end its dependence on Russian gas.
“Russia is no longer a reliable partner,” she told a virtual conference hosted by German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.