European Shares Edge Lower As French Students Vow More Protests

(RTTNews) - European stocks were moving lower on Tuesday as British banking giant HSBC posted disappointing earnings and French student leaders vowed to carry out further protests despite government concessions on education aimed at easing mounting unrest.

France's official statistical agency INSEE reported earlier today that a measure of French consumer confidence plunged to the lowest since June 2013 in October, weighed down by widespread protests in the country over education, cost of living, and public policy.

Elsewhere, U.K. shop price inflation accelerated to its highest level in two and a half years in October, the British Retail Consortium said.

The shop price index climbed 2.1 percent year-on-year in October, faster than the 1.4 percent increase seen in September.

The pan-European STOXX 600 dropped 0.4 percent to 638.41 after climbing 0.8 percent on Monday.

The German DAX was marginally lower, France's CAC 40 slipped 0.3 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 fell 0.9 percent.

Beiersdorf shares tumbled 3.6 percent. The German consumer goods maker reported Q3 sales below expectations.

Porsche rallied 2 percent. The luxury sports car manufacturer confirmed its 2026 outlook after reporting a sharp rebound in nine-month operating profit.

French telecom group Orange dropped 1.3 percent despite reporting higher third-quarter revenue and raising its 2026 core earnings growth target.

Swedish industrial company Alfa Laval rose about 1 percent after reporting record order intake in the third quarter.

Swiss pharma company Novartis gained 2 percent after raising its annual core operating income outlook.

RWS Holdings, a London-listed AI solutions company, advanced 3.4 percent. The company said organic revenue rose about 3 percent to 30 September after a decline the year before.

Reckitt Benckiser shares slumped 5.6 percent. The consumer goods group cut its sales guidance for the year after third-quarter sales missed expectations due to an unexpected slowdown in the United States.

Lender HSBC plunged 7 percent after third-quarter profit narrowly missed forecasts.