(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 20 apr - European shares closed lower at midday, as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rattled investor sentiment.

Markets on the continent retreated following reports that the US has seized an Iranian-flagged vessel.

Investors are now facing a period of limbo as the ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire Tuesday evening, a setback that has seen early gains for energy companies while semiconductor stocks fell.

On the data front, Eurostat reported that seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector decreased by 0.2% in the eurozone in February compared to the previous month. This follows a sharper decline of 1.3% in January. On a year-on-year basis, eurozone construction output fell by 1.9%. In contrast, Italy showed signs of recovery as production in its construction sector increased by 0.5% in February, breaking a three-month streak of declines. On a calendar-adjusted basis, Italian construction was up 1.4% compared to February 2025.

The London FTSE 100 closed down 0.55% at 10,609.08 points, the Frankfurt DAX fell 1.14% at 24,416.50 points, the Paris CAC 40 shed 1.12% at 8,331.05 points, while in Milan the FTSE MIB lost 1.36% at 48,207.02 points, and in Madrid the IBEX 35.

closed 1.30% lower at 18,243.78 points.

(RADIOCOR) 20-04-26 18:01:57 (0533) 5 NNNN