European shares dip as US-Iran tensions weigh on sentiment

Tue, 21st Apr 2026 17:35

* Thales shares drop after Q1 sales miss analyst forecasts

* Royal Unibrew plunges as ⁠Pepsi N.Europe partnership set to end

* Technology leads gains, healthcare and defence shares lag (Updates with closing prices)

April 21 (Reuters) - European equities fell on Tuesday as uncertainty over ‌U.S.-Iran peace talks kept investors cautious, hours before a ceasefire is due to expire.

President Donald Trump said he did not ⁠want to extend the ceasefire and the U.S. military was "raring to ⁠go" if any negotiations failed.

Pakistan said it was still awaiting confirmation from Iran that its delegation would attend peace talks in Islamabad.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed down 0.9% at 616.03 points. Major regional markets also fell, with France's CAC 40 and London's FTSE 100 each down 1.1%.

Germany's ‌DAX dipped 0.6%. German investor morale fell to its lowest in more than three years in April, the ZEW economic research institute said.

Concerns over oil supply disruptions continued to weigh on Europe's energy-dependent economies, with many companies flagging conflict-related risks in quarterly earnings.

"I think European markets are likely to see a bigger bump in inflation, which will probably lead to rate hikes from the ECB. And that will just upset the narrative ‌of 'it's time to be long Europe'," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group.

A 3% rise in crude oil prices lifted the energy sector , which ‌added 0.4%.

The aerospace and defence index led declines, sliding 4.8% for its steepest one-day drop since April 2025.

Europe's largest defence technology group Thales fell 6% after first-quarter sales missed forecasts. Aircraft-engine makers Safran and Rolls-Royce dropped more than 6.5% each.

Healthcare stocks also weighed on the index, with the sector down 2%. Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk fell 4.2%, while AstraZeneca ‌and GSK each lost more than 2.5%.

The food and beverages index declined 1.8% after Royal Unibrew plunged 24.8%. The Danish brewer said its partnership with PepsiCo in northern Europe was set to end.

Some analysts said the pullback in Europe ⁠offered selective buying ⁠opportunities, with shares trading at a discount to U.S. peers.

"For those investors ‌who are willing to take the time and actively manage their European exposure, there are intriguing opportunities, not only from a value perspective but also in certain areas and in certain pockets on a growth perspective as well," said Eric ‌Parnell, chief market strategist at GVA Wealth Management.

Markets are pricing in an 84% chance that the European Central Bank will keep interest rates unchanged at next week's meeting, according to LSEG data. (Reporting by Ragini Mathur, Utkarsh Hathi and Twesha Dikshit in Bengaluru. Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Mark Potter)