BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks traded lower on Friday amid fears that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East may fuel inflation and dent economic growth.
The Trump administration extended its pause on military strikes on Iran by 10 days, but the Pentagon is reportedly planning to send 10,000 more troops to the Middle East, hinting at a possible escalation.
In economic news, U.K retail sales decreased for the first time in three months in February, though at a slower-than-expected pace, data from the Office for National Statistics showed.
The seasonally adjusted retail sales volume posted a monthly fall of 0.4 percent in February, reversing a 2.0 percent growth in January, which was the strongest growth since May 2024.
On a yearly basis, retail sales growth moderated to 2.5 percent in February from 4.8 percent in January.
The pan European Stoxx 600 dropped 0.7 percent to 576.86 after losing 1.1 percent in the previous session on concerns of a possible rate hike by the European Central Bank.
The German DAX fell 0.9 percent, while France's CAC 40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 both were down half a percent.
GSK shares fell 1.1 percent. The drugmaker announced that the European Medicines Agency has accepted its marketing authorization application for bepirovirsen.
AstraZeneca rallied 3 percent after saying its experimental treatment tozorakimab met the main goal in two late-stage trials.
French spirits maker Pernod ?Ricard climbed nearly 3 percent after confirming merger talks with Jack Daniel's owner Brown-Forman.
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