(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 24 apr - European share prices remained lower at midday, as persistent geopolitical uncertainty and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighed on investor sentiment.

US president Donald Trump announced a three week extension of the truce between Lebanon and Israel, but volatility continues, particularly in oil prices. While rising crude provided some relief to energy stocks, the broader market remains cautious amid the ongoing disruption in the strait.

On the data front, the Ifo Institute reported that the German business climate index fell to 84.4 in April from a revised 86.3 in March, marking its lowest level since May 2020.

Investors are now looking ahead to next week's European Central Bank meeting, where interest rates are widely expected to remain unchanged as officials weigh recent geopolitical developments against inflation targets.

At 0940 GMT, Milan's FTSE MIB index was down 1.04% at 47,410.50 points while in Frankfurt the DAX slipped 0.58% to 24,039.32 points and in Paris the CAC 40 shed 1.24% to 8,125.11 points. London's FTSE 100 was 0.73% lower at 10,380.29 points while Madrid's IBEX 35 slipped 1.34% to.

17,646.11 points.

(RADIOCOR) 24-04-26 11:43:03 (0300) 5 NNNN