12.02.202617:13:08UTC+00European Stocks Ease from Records

European stocks ended lower on Thursday, mirroring a late-session selloff in North American equity markets amid renewed concerns over AI-related capital spending, the prospect of prolonged restrictive interest rates from the Federal Reserve, and a series of weaker-than-expected earnings reports. The STOXX 50 fell 0.5% to 6,004, while the STOXX 600 lost 0.6% to close at 618, retreating from a record high set in the previous session.

Chipmaker ASML, tech investor Prosus, and semiconductor group Infineon each declined about 2%, extending the negative sentiment toward companies with significant exposure to artificial intelligence. Payments firm Adyen slumped more than 21% after missing earnings expectations.

In other corporate moves, Sanofi dropped 4.5% after its board removed the CEO amid frustration over a stalled turnaround at the vaccines giant. Mercedes-Benz slipped 1.5% following a fall in profits.

By contrast, Siemens finished slightly higher, having pared earlier gains of up to 7%, after the technology conglomerate raised its earnings guidance on the back of a strong start to its fiscal year.