European stocks edge lower as oil hovers above $100 a barrel in Stock News 13/03/2026 European stocks opened lower on Friday, as oil prices remained above $100 a barrel despite moves by the U.S. to allow countries to purchase some sanctioned Russian crude in a bid ease a global supply crunch. By 04:04 ET (08:04 GMT), the pan-European Stoxx 600 index had fallen by 0.7%, the Dax in Germany had slipped by 0.9%, the CAC 40 in France had slid 1.0%, and the FTSE 100 in the U.K. had dropped 0.8%. Equities in the region received a weak handover from Asia, reflecting little belief among investors that the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran will be over soon. Major indices in South Korea and Japan — both major importers of oil flows coming from the Middle East — fell by more than 1.4%. Like many Asian nations, several countries in Europe heavily import energy products that pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway surrounded on three sides by Iran. New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the strait will remain closed until the fighting ceases. Container shipping traffic through the choke point has virtually stopped, with companies worried about potential attacks that could endanger the safety of crews. Shipping firms have also been struggling to find insurance for sailings that appear to be increasingly perilous. Despite efforts in recent days by the U.S. and the International Energy Agency to make more oil available for purchase, the trickle of supply has sent Brent crude surging back above $100 a barrel. Volatility in Brent has been intense. Earlier this week, the global benchmark climbed to as high as nearly $120 a barrel, before temporarily retreating below $90 a barrel. Still, oil prices remain well above where they were prior to the start of the conflict, fueling concerns over a spike in inflationary pressures around the world that could dent bets for central bank monetary policy easing. In Europe, these fears have pushed up government bond yields in Germany and France, weighing on stocks. “European and Asian equity markets have been hit harder than those of the U.S., and the longer the crisis goes on, the greater this divergence will become,” analysts at ING said in a note. Inflation readings in focus Against this backdrop, traders are pouring through fresh inflation data from France and Spain. Consumer prices in France, Europe’s second-largest economy, climbed by 1.1% in the twelve months to February on an EU-harmonized basis, in line with estimates and faster than 0.4% in January. A similar measure in Spain accelerated marginally to 2.5%. Later on Friday, the U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index for January will be released. The metric is closely watched by markets as it is one of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation readings. Crucially, however, the numbers cover a period that largely does not include the Iran war, which began with a barrage of U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran in late February. The outlook for inflation has darkened since the outbreak of the fighting, especially in Europe, where until recently economists had suggested that price growth had been widely quelled. Source: Investing.com 2026-03-13 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertB