(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 19 mar - European share prices remained lower at midday, as investors reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East and a hawkish stance from the US Federal Reserve.

Sentiment is dominated by the risk of a global energy supply crisis, with energy stocks showing some resilience amid the broader sell-off.

Investors are now waiting for interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, both due later today.

On the monetary policy front, the Swedish Riksbank and the Swiss National Bank both kept their policy rates unchanged this morning, at 1.75% and 0% respectively, citing heightened uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East.

In European data, In January 2026 compared with December 2025, seasonally adjusted production in construction decreased by 0.1% in the eurozone and by 0.9% in the European Union, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.

At 1053 GMT, London's FTSE 100 was down 1.91% at 10,108.67 points while in Frankfurt the DAX was 2.43% lower at 22,956.63 points and in Paris the CAC 40 fell 1.65% to 7,838.36 points. Milan's FTSE MIB slumped 2.09% to 43,806.50 points while in Madrid the IBEX 35 was 2.13% lower at.

16,928.73 points.

(RADIOCOR) 19-03-26 11:56:57 (0297) 5 NNNN